Dec 30, 2012; Foxborough, MA, USA; Miami Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin watches from the sideline as they take on the New England Patriots during the second half at Gillette Stadium. The New England Patriots defeated the Miami Dolphins 28-0. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports

Some NFL teams have started purging their rosters early in advance of the free agency period that will start on March 12th.  The Buffalo Bills have been a big player in tossing unwanted free agents onto the street.  Today the Green Bay Packers added one of their own.  Safety Charles Woodson.  Most Miami Dolphins fans would start to openly call for Woodson to join Joe Philbin in Miami.  The Dolphins?  Probably not so much.

Woodson will still hold a decent size contract.  He was due around 10 million in GB and he is 37 years old.  Not a player the Dolphins traditionally have coveted.  At this time of year, any player that passes through the waiver wire immediately can be signed by a new team.  So for example, if Titus Young passes through the waivers (he didn’t 9 days’ ago) he would be free to sign with whomever he chooses.

In Miami, the Dolphins haven’t been too keen on supplanting their roster early with street free agents regardless of their talent level.  The only player the Dolphins have added thus far is former CFL LB Lee Robinson.  The Dolphins have found success with north of the border players in recent years.  It’s still a long shot for Robinson to make anything close to the impact that Cameron Wake did.

With the Dolphins facing free agents of their own it’s not surprising they haven’t started the process of replacement.  It’s still unknown if the Dolphins will use the franchise tag on Jake Long, Sean Smith, Brian Hartline, or any other impending in house free agent.  Tags can start being applied on Monday morning.  Rumors still float around that the Dolphins will let all of their free agents test the waters while some other news outlets believe that Long and Smith are on the short list for the teams franchise tag.

The Dolphins have the third highest amount of cap space behind Cleveland and Cincinnati and could potentially add more by releasing some players or borrowing from next season.  They also have 9 total draft picks with 5 coming in the first three rounds.  It’s the best position the Dolphins have been in financially and in draft picks in over a decade.  How they spend the money and space is as important as who they spend it on.

In other news, season tickets are now on sale for next season.  The Dolphins will NOT be raising ticket prices this year.  Koa Misi who faced assault charges in California stemming from a B&E has had his charges dropped to misdemeanors.  He will serve three years of misdemeanor probation.

The Dolphins are expected to bring a kicker in to compete with Dan Carpenter this off-season.  It’s possible that the competition could start as early as the first mini-camp and last until the final week of cuts leading up to the start of the 2013 season.

Jeff Ireland has stated that all avenues are open to making this team better and the Dolphins will be one of the top teams discussed in trade rumors for top WR’s.

Ryan Tannehill and the “read-option“?  It’s possible.  Rumors continue to circulate out of Davie that the Dolphins will open up the game for the soon to be sophomore QB.  Tannehill showed a strong sense of running ability late in the season when his coaches allowed him to use his legs in place of his arms.  After the success of Colin Kaepernick and RGIII, the Dolphins could find success with Ryan’s speed and ability to throw with accuracy while on the run.

According to one of the local beat writers covering the Dolphins, Mike Wallace is priority number 1 with Greg Jennings the fallback option.  However it should be noted that if the KC Chiefs do in fact re-sign Dwayne Bowe, the price tag for a free agent WR will most assuredly rise.  With Bowe off the market, Wallace and Jennings are the top options and naturally teams will bid against each other for their services.

Jan 5, 2013; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers safety Charles Woodson (21) celebrates a play during the fourth quarter of the NFC Wild Card playoff game against the Minnesota Vikings at Lambeau Field. The Packers won 24-10. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

The Green Bay Packers have announced that they will release longtime cornerback Charles Woodson. Woodson, who was drafted 4^th overall by the Oakland Raiders in the 1998 NFL Draft has had one amazing career. When he first entered the league he made an immediate impact and quickly developed into one of the best cornerbacks in the league. In 2006, Woodson made the transfer to the NFC, as he decided to sign with the Green Bay Packers on 7 year deal that was in the 50 million dollar range. Since becoming a Packer, Woodson has gone onto win multiple awards, including the Defensive Player of The Year Award in 2009, as he helped the Green Bay Packers win yet another Super Bowl.

Despite getting up there in age, Woodson has still shown tremendous playing ability, making the Pro Bowl from 2008-2011. However, this year Woodson was switched to the safety position where he did seem to struggle at times. Finishing the season with only 38 tackles and 1 interception, it was clear that Woodson wasn’t the same player and at the age of 36, the Packers did not want to keep giving him the big dollars. Last season Woodson broke his collarbone, costing him the final nine games of the season. Heading into this season Woodson was set to make around nine million between his salary and additional bonuses.

I think that Woodson still has at least one more year in him. If he can sign a contract with a contending team, with a smaller role, then I believe that he could really be effective. Some teams that I think could be interested in bringing him in are the New England Patriots, the Houston Texans, and the San Francisco 49ers. I’m hoping that Woodson doesn’t retire, because it would be awful to have to end such a great career not on your terms.

Thanks For Reading!

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15. St. Louis Rams

You have to love Sam Bradford this year. I am 100% buying this kid. As a rookie, Bradford came in and threw the ball 590 times, good for 3rd most in the NFL and nearly took a 1-15 team to the playoffs with a non-existent receiving core. He passed for over 3,500 yards and showed no ill-effects from his injury. I don’t see a sophomore slump coming for Bradford. The Rams went out and added Mike Sims-Walker, a strong possession guy who will fit in well in the new system. Keep your eye on Danario Alexander, a 6’5 receiver who, if he can stay healthy, can turn into Bradford’s best weapon. The rest of this unit is really difficult to predict. Danny Amendola led the league in red zone targets last season, but only caught three touchdown passes. Donnie Avery missed all of 2010 with an ACL injury, but can be the burner they need if he can get on the field and stay there. Austin Pettis and  Greg Salas were drafted to help out the receivers as well. It’s tough to predict who is going to be around when the season begins. In the backfield, once again it will be all about Steven Jackson. The great thing about Jackson is you know he is going to get the carries. There is nobody on the roster to poach goal line touches from him. He will get his touchdowns this year, as the offense has greatly improved. You just have to wonder when all the work and all the hits are going to catch up to Jackson, but he is no doubt a first rounder and somebody you can comfortably have on your team.

Who you should have: Sam Bradford, Steven Jackson, Mike Sims-Walker, Danny Amendola

Sleeper: Danario Alexander

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