I will be the first to admit that I wasn’t initially on board with bringing in a prima-donna to any position on the field.  Especially one that could curtail the development of a young QB like Chad Henne.  Then I realized, Brandon Marshall is not Terrell Owens.  Brandon Marshall is far from Jerry Rice but he isn’t a locker-room cancer and in reality never has been.

I can go into his legal background but honestly you can read that list for yourself on Wikipedia.  Yes, he has had some issues but let’s face facts, some of those issues were not his fault, some of them were bad press, and some of them were young mistakes.  It’s his emotions that have gotten the better of him.  As was the case with Darrent Williams.

Marshall recently conceded in court that he blames himself for Williams’ death at the hands of Willie Clark (found guilty of 1st degree murder).  Marshall told the court that he was vocally abusive to Clark who later followed their limo and fired the shots into it that killed Williams.

And Marshall has been keeping that inside. 

The other side of Brandon Marshall that the Dolphins would get is the one who took off to Atlanta 3 seasons ago with Jay Cutlerand Tony Scheffler to work on their own.  The 3 worked on timing routes and patterns and it showed the following season when all 3 had solid statistical seasons.

Last season Marshall was benched for the final game by head coach Josh McDaniels.  The reason was that Marshall didn’t practice because of a hamstring injury.  Before Marshall could get it treated, McDaniels had already publicly outed his WR.  Something that Tony Sparano and Jeff Ireland would never do and have never done.  Bill Parcells?  Yeah, maybe.

Unlike Terrell Owens who is a major diva, Marshall has never complained about his QB or the lack of getting receptions.  He has complained about the teams play but never outed Cutler and in fact, Cutler has lobbied the Bears to bring him north.

In Miami, Marshall would be the star on offense, no question so it fits into any part of the “me” ego he possesses.  In addition, he will have a no-nonsense OC in Dan Henningwho does not tolerate the “diva” mentality.  He will have young Chad Henne to work with while also being guided by the very respected Chad Pennington.

Then of course there is Bill Parcells.  Parcells has zero tolerance for “diva” wide-receivers but he is also fair and understanding towards troubled players.  See Ricky Williams.  There is a place for Marshall on this team and I doubt he would be the distraction that many people fear.

There is the Southbeach issue that can be a seriously ill draw for young impressionable athletes and while Marshall is not a kid anymore, he still lacks the knowledge of self regulation.  But it’s something that he may have learned from with the Williams death. 

All in all, the Dolphins have thrown away big sums of money to Gibril Wilson and Ernest Wilford and have gotten zero production out of either of them.  Their biggest need is WR and nothing they get in the draft would immediately contribute like Marshall can today.  And what exactly would he do for Ted Ginn and the rest of the receivers?  A point that Zach Thomas was quoted as making in one of Armando Salguero’s blogs.

The point is Marshall comes with a history but in my opinion, it’s not loaded baggage.  He needs a new start in a new city away from the past that has dogged him.  In Miami, Marshall can be the go to guy that he wants to be and that Miami needs.  He can be flamboyant if he must and at the same time he will be surrounded by players and coaches that can deal with him.

Brandon Marshall is not Terrell Owens…he just has the same talent.  Marshall also has a history that these Dolphins love.  He is a hard worker who has played hurt almost every year in the league and has excelled. 

Marshall could likely be had for a 2nd or a 3rd plus.  Not a bad investment for what people consider a risky individual.  What side of this fence are you on?

First and foremost, we all want to wish Jim “Mad Dog” Mandich a full return to health as he has been diagnosed with cancer of the bile duct.  Cancer is everyone’s worst fear and the word itself carries with it a taboo.  Mandich has been the voice of the Miami Dolphins since his playing days and while WQAM radio will not longer host Dolphins games on Sundays, it’s good to know that Jim will likely move to the Clear network to continue his gamecasts.  All our prayers are with you.

Jason Ferguson has re-signed with the Dolphins despite his 8 game suspension.  At first I scoffed at the notion until realizing that perhaps having the aging NT back for the second half of the season healthy and fresh isn’t a bad thing.  Hopefully by then the Phins will have another NT that has shown enough to warrant Ferguson spending time on the bench.

Antonio Bryant is no longer on the market.  He signed today with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Derrick Mason is no longer on the market.  He re-signed with the Baltimore Ravens.

Brady Quinn is on the trading block.  At least Ted Ginn is being actively shopped in the open.

Terrance “Mount” Cody weighed in 22 pounds lighter than he did at the Senior Bowl.  It’s highly unlikely that Cody will go in the top 20 0f the draft next April but a late first or second might be a good investment.  He is showing a commitment to playing football and keeping his weight off.  Obviously NT is a big priority for the Dolphins.

Let’s face it, the Miami Dolphins are notorious for wasting 2nd round picks.  Daunte Culpepper, AJ Feeley, Samson Satele, John Beck, Matt Roth, and now Pat White?

O.k. so many fans believe that Pat White was a mistake the instant his name was read aloud at the draft.  But after last years no completion season and one helluva knock-out on the sidelines, is it any surprise that the Dolphins are dropping him to 4th on the depth chart?

The story goes like this, Miami signs Chad Pennington to a 1 year deal and tells him that he will be the E3 (emergency 3) QB.  He will be behind Chad Henne and Tyler Thigpen on the depth chart.  Tyler Thigpen?  I thought he was going to somehow get traded?  O.k. guess not.

So are we to expect the Dolphins to carry 4 QB’s this season?  White as the 4th?  Three things were apparent after last season.

1: With Chad Henne’s arm, we don’t need the Wild Cat…which means that we don’t need Pat White coming in and lining up in that spot.

2:  Unable to complete one single pass all year, Pat White is not a QB

3: After taking the shot in the Pittsburgh game, Pat White doesn’t have the physical stamina to line up as a slot WR and go over the middle.

So, where does that leave the Dolphins?  Simple, with another busted 2nd round pick that was wasted.  So the next logical question is why are the Dolphins so steadfast in not trading a 2nd round pick for a proven player?  Let’s face it, the last time they didn’t waste a pick was on Chad Henne…yet.

The Phins have a slew of holes.  WR, S, OLB, and of course NT and they won’t find sure hits in the draft. Dan Williams is a good bet for the 12 slot in round 1 and WR Brandon Lafelle may be an option in round 2.  But that still leaves two gaping holes.

Why gaping?  Well, right now the Dolphins have no starting Safety and no starting OLB.  Both left empty with the releases of Gibril Wilson and Joey Porter.  Suddenly, WR becomes a luxury that the Phins may not be able to afford, yet it’s the one piece on offense that is sorely lacking.

It gets worse when you start looking at free agency and wondering where the team may find someone.  Most players that are still left who can come in and not only start but make even a modicum of an impact are restricted free agents.  Which means the Phins will have to surrender some sort of draft pick compensation to the team who owns them.  Which then leaves Miami without that pick.  In most cases, that’s a 2nd rounder.  Which again asks the question, what else would the Phins do with it?

Blow it?  Likely given their history with 2nd rounders.  And let’s not forget this isn’t just a Bill Parcells and Co. problem.  It dates way back to Jimmy Johnson and Dave Wannstedt and I’m sure back to Don Shula as well.

With a trade comes a new contract as well, something that really puts the brakes on any deal.  It’s the way it is in the NFL.  A structure in place to allow teams to build their team without being poached every year.  For the Dolphins, poor drafting in rounds 2 and even in round 3 have left them with no future stars or for that matter starters.

Perhaps maybe the answer lies with Ronnie Brown.  The Dolphins are asking for a 1st by virtue of their tender offer.  Maybe a 2nd would get the deal done.  One thing is for certain, the Dolphins can win without Brown and there are plenty of veteran runners who can be short term answers while the Phins address something else.

Trade Ronnie for a 2nd, trade the second for a WR, NT, OLB, or Safety, use your first, second, and 3rd to address the other 3 and hope you hit.  Either way, the team needs to do something because these are not cases of depth, these are cases of starting positions with plenty of vacancy.

Free agency is a week old so no need to get overly concerned, but the Phins do have holes to fill and right now, the choices out there are rather slim.  As the old adage goes, “only time will tell”.

The Phins will now look elsewhere for the teams vacancy. Some notable safeties that are free agents are OJ Atogwe (RFA), Antoine Bethea (RFA) and Darren Sharper (UFA). If the Dolphins would like to get their safety in the draft they might look at a couple in the first 3 rounds: Eric Berry (Tennessee)  if he Drops, Earl Thomas (Texas),  Nate Allen (South Florida), Morgan Burnett (Georgia Tech),  Reshad Jones (Georgia), or Major Wright (Florida)

And that is where you would be wrong, wrong in wondering why the Dolphins are compelled to make him their 2010 starter.  See if all goes as planned, the Dolphins will announce the signing sometime this afternoon and all indications are that it is a foregone conclusion.  See, Miami wants Clark and Clark wants Miami.

A hard hitting safety from the Pittsburgh Steelers, Clark is one of the better safeties in the league who is humble enough to stay under the radar.  When faced with free agency, Clark simply sat home and skipped all the grand tours from city to city and instead waited patiently for the Dolphins to do business with Karlos Dansby.

“That’s the reason we waited so long to take any [free agent] trips. We had interested teams that I didn’t really want to go to, and I didn’t want to try to make myself look busy by going to a bunch of different places.  There were a lot of good offers, and a lot of good fits. But this seems like a good spot. So I’m praying it goes well.”

And wait he did.  Clark said that he wanted only to make one free agent stop and that was to the Dolphins.  He scheduled an appointment for Sunday into Monday and scheduled nothing else.  Even when the rumors flew around that his name was being linked to other teams.

Clark has been a starter the last 2 seasons which included a Pittsburgh Super Bowl victory against the Arizona Cardinals.  Clark, while a heavy hitting safety on the field, is also well known because of his lack of playing last year in one game.  The Steeler trip to Denver.

Clark suffers from a blood disorder that two years ago almost killed him because of the high-altitude in Denver.  Thus, he skipped last years Steelers away game to the Mile High City.

Clark may or may not be the best answer to the Dolphins recent woes at safety but he brings something that recently departed Gibril Wilson did not, an intense desire to hit someone, someone with the ball.  That physical attitude and veteran smarts is something that the Phins have been looking for. 

Clark is not under the Dolphins contract yet but he likely soon will be and the Dolphins would take yet another big step in overhauling a defense that just couldn’t get it done last year when they needed it.

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Joey Porter – Released – that was a shocker

Gibril Wilson – Released – Despite Jeff Irelands verbal support, no surprise

Nathan Jones – Allowed to enter free agency – Signed with the Broncos

Akin Ayodele – Released – A tad bit of a surprise until realization set it that Dansby was going to be signed.

Karlos Dansby – 43 million dollar 5 year deal.  The first top tier free agent talent the Phins have signed in almost a decade.

Chad Pennington – Re-signed for 2.5 million 1 year with a 1.15 million dollar bonus if he is traded.

Antrelle Rolle – Dolphins offer 5 year deal for the former Arizona safety.  They come up way short when the NY Giants signed him to a 37 million dollar deal.

Ryan Clark – Currently in contract talks with hard-hitting Pittsburgh safety.  Clark is only the second player to have visited the Dolphins this off-season.

By the numbers:  The Dolphins have added 1, retained 1, and lost 4

We will see how it shakes out, but in my opinion he doesn’t leave Miami without a signed contract. This would be yet another huge move by the Trifecta…errrrr Quad and will allow them to focus on other areas in the draft.

Update: Tim Graham of ESPN is also reporting now that Ryan Clark’s visit will indeed take place tomorrow.

“That’s the reason we waited so long to take any trips,” Ryan told Miami Herald reporter Jeff Darlington. “We had interested teams that I didn’t really want to go to, and I didn’t want to try to make myself look busy by going to a bunch of different places.

“There were a lot of good offers, and a lot of good fits. But this seems like a good spot. So I’m praying to goes well.”

This could be another very interesting development for the Dolphins who have had a strong offseason thus far. For those unfamiliar Ryan Clark was the starting free safety for the Pittsburgh Steelers last season (and since 2006) and posted 89 tackles with three interceptions. Clark is 30, so hopefully Miami doesn’t go too crazy with the contract figures, but he does bring a winning pedigree and playoff experience.

So parsing through a bit of this, here’s where we are… The Kampman deal has virtually no impact on the Dolphins, he wouldn’t have been a fit here and the ramifications it has on other free agent negotiations is negligible. The Jets moving Rhodes is a bit more relevant to Dolphins fans. Rhodes was, for lack of a better term, a complete asshole. And though he was sporadic, when he came to play he was one hell of a safety. So it’s nice to see him out of the division. I’m still not looking forward to facing the Jets this year though, and I assume they’ll address the safety position now in the draft (I wouldn’t be shocked to see them peg another Trojan in Taylor Mays if he falls that far, here’s hoping he doesn’t because 6′3 230 with a 4.3-40 doesn’t sound much fun). Regardless, Kerry Rhodes and his big mouth are Cardinals now.

Around the rest of the division New England has been active early on resigning Tully Banta-Cain and Vince Wilfork. Now they seem to be turning their attention to addressing the receiver position. Meanwhile Buffalo hasn’t accomplished anything. Former Dolphins stalwart Wade Smith is in Buffalo on a free agent visit today. Not that I’m complaining but what else could the Bills front office have to do in frigid Buffalo in early March besides their jobs?

Ricky Williams to have 30-at-30 Movie

ESPN’s 30-at-30 series is choosing to do a documentary on the dramatic career of Ricky Williams, cleverly titled “Run, Ricky, Run.” A trailer for the documentary can be seen here. I’m already a little concerned at how the Dolphins and the South Florida fans and media will be portrayed in this film. It seems to focus on a lot of the anger and resentment after Williams’ abrupt retirement. The trailer seems to indicate the story will be told from a pro-Ricky humanist perspective.

I’m all for a documentary about Ricky, he’s one of the most talented and intriguing men professional football has ever seen. In many ways I think he channels a lot of what Jim Brown represented in his era. Brown was fairly counter-cultural and somewhat subversive in his own way during a different era. What I don’t want to see is Miami take it on the chin. To me, Ricky Williams’ story is one of redemption. He battled some personal demons, he really did hit rock-bottom from a PR standpoint when all of Miami and half the NFL seemed to hate him and he dealt with legal issues (like bankruptcy) and yet in 2010 he is beloved of Dolphins fans and just shouldered one of the top rushing attacks in football over the second half of the season to the tune of nearly 1,200 yards. Three or four years ago did you ever think that right now Ricky would be coming off a 1,000+ yard, 11 TD rushing season at 32 and still gainfully employed while LaDanian Tomlinson and Brian Westbrook looked for jobs? The fact that Ricky managed to redeem himself in the incredibly cynical eyes of Dolphins fans is the real story to me. Every athlete that’s ever fallen from grace should talk to Ricky about how to mend old relationships and redeem yourself.

That’s about it for right now. Jason Ferguson’s suspension was confirmed this morning which means the Dolphins need for a NT just became that much more pressing. We’ll let you know if anything else happens. Enjoy the Oscars tonight and the whopping dose of pretentious that comes with it.

Details of the suspension are still sketchy but it is believed that the big NT violated the NFL’s substance abuse policy on performance enhancing drugs.  This report comes from Howard Balzer of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat.

If this does in fact prove to true, the Dolphins, who many thought would re-sign Ferguson will be forced to look elsewhere either in a restricted free agent or in the draft as major priority.  Ferguson was rumored to be considering retirement if he did not rejoin Miami.  That appears now to be a foregone conclusion.

Free agency is far from over and while the fever of the first weekend will give way to more patient negotiations.  The Dolphins still have holes to fill and while they will look to the draft for many of them, free agency is where they need fill their depth.

Gone are  LB’s Akin Ayodele.  He will be replaced by Channing Crowderwhile Crowder of course will be replaced by Dansby.  By the way, Dansby told local media that he is really excited about playing with Crowder and that both of them should get better because of each other.  That’s good news because Crowder has been somewhat of an enigma over his last 5 years. 

In addition to Ayodele, the Phins said good-bye to Safety Gibril Wilson and OLB Joey Porter.  With those two moves, the Phins now have 2 holes where they had starters last season.  The Phins may look to Chris Clemons to take that safety spot but more than likely they will look to the draft unless they get a deal done with one of the remaining safeties.  They also let Nathan Jones a reserve CB and special teams ace leave VIA FA as well.  His position for the interim will be filled by Jason Allen.

The OLB spot hasn’t changed but there are no OLB’s available without making a trade and therefore it’s still likely the team will turn in that direction come round 1.  In round 2, the team will likely punch the card on a big NT.  That means in two rounds of the draft, the Phins will not likely draft a Safety or a WR.  Two big needs.

Earlier this off-season Jeff Irelandsaid that the team needed a strong number 1 WR and while they could grab a Brandon Lafelle in the draft, the only way they will get one before then is to trade or sign a restricted free agent.  So for now, fans will wait.

The Dolphins are far from done this off-season and with the re-signing of Chad Pennington ( A GREAT MOVE)to a 1 year contract means that Tyler Thigpen is likely to be traded.  Chad Henneis going to really learn from Pennington…much the same way Drew Bledsoe helped Tom Brady.

Watch for these moves between now and the end of April.  Thigpen traded, one of the WR’s moved.  Greg Camarillo would be my bet.  The Phins may look to free agent WR Derrick Mason who was not re-signed by Baltimore as well.  Of course there is also the restricted free agent list the Phins currently have that include Ronnie Brown and Anthony Fasano.

I was wrong about the Dolphins signing Karlos Dansby.  I said they would try but wouldn’t pony up the amount of money he was requesting.  The Phins did well with a structured contract that won’t kill them.  Dansby gets his guaranteed 27 mill in the first 3 years (including base salary) and the Dolphins get a 5 year deal.  I was however right about Anquan Boldin and Antrelle Rolle.  Both of which I don’t think are big losses.

The Dolphins got their man for sure and the addition frees them to do other things in FA as well as the draft.  Stay tuned folks, while the rest of this story may not be as exciting as the opening soon…the climax may have everyone clapping in approval!