Dec 16, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings (85) makes a catch against Chicago Bears cornerback Kelvin Hayden (24) during the second half at Soldier Field. The Green Bay Packers defeat the Chicago Bears 21-13. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

Now that the Superbowl is over, and the Draft is coming up quick, it’s time to look at some potential free agent targets for the Miami Dolphins. With Miami expecting to lose some key players like Reggie Bush, they will be looking to make a big splash in the Free Agency pool this year.

There’s been a lot of speculation and high hopes that the Dolphins will bring in some big names like Ed Reed or Darrell Revis, sorry but I don’t see either one happening. I’m going to give my top 3 Free agents that I feel Miami has a realistic shot at getting and that could instantly help out this franchise.

1. Greg Jennings-Wide Receiver(Green Bay Packers)

I’ve seen a lot of people say he’s too old, he is always injured, he want’s more than he’s worth, etc. Well even though there is some truth to it, he would fit into the team easily.  He already knows Head Coach Joe Philbin from his days in Green Bay, he’s a veteran WR with tons of experience, and he’s not a diva.

With having a young Quarterback, Ryan Tannehill doesn’t need someone like a Dwayne Bowe giving him a constant headache. Miami already tried Brandon Marshall, what make’s you think that Bowe will be any different?

Now the Mike Wallace option I understand. He’s a top WR who’s still got a good amount of miles left to keep playing. My only concern is, how much will he really be trying to get out of the Dolphins knowing they are in a desperate need of a top WR? Wallace is the type of guy who would try to use that to his advantage and abuse the situation. However, if he can be picked up for the right price then it’s not a question. Pick him up!

Another reason I like the Jennings pick up is his experience in the NFL is outstanding. He’s played with two of the best QB’s the NFL has seen. Who would be a better option then Jennings to work with a young group of WR’s? Not to mention if Miami can use a 2nd round pick on a good WR like Justin Hunter from Tennessee, Jennings could work with him and train him similar to what he’s done with the young WR core in Green Bay.

2. Delanie Walker- Tight End(San Fransisco 49ers)

Delanie Walker is expected to hit the Free Agency market this off season. Truthfully the 49ers don’t need him since they have arguably the best TE in the NFL in Vernon Davis. With Miami most likely not bringing back Anthony Fasano, he’s a top option in the upcoming FA pool.

Walker had a very good season considering he’s a backup. With Ryan Tannehill entering his sophomore season, having a good receiving TE would help him out tremendously.  Look at what he did his rookie season. Fasano was a big target for Tannehill. Walker is young and experienced, plus he’s a better duel TE unlike Fasano. Delanie Walker makes a lot of sense for the Dolphins.

3. Derek Cox-Cornerback(Jacksonville Jaguars)

We all know other than the WR’s, the CB’s is the other must need position to address. There are a couple good options in the draft but Miami will need to look for a pair of CB’s this off season.

Derek Cox is a solid CB, but only when he’s healthy. This past season he had some problems staying healthy and was only able to play about half the season. When he’s healthy he is a good corner allowing less than 50% completion of passes thrown to his coverage assignments. If he does come up available, which he’s expected too, he would be a good pick up for Miami and should be able to get him for a reasonable price.

November 12, 2012; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Mike Wallace (17) pulls in a seven yard touchdown pass against Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Brandon Flowers (24) during the second quarter at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Now that the Super Bowl has come and gone, the fun part of the NFL calendar year is just about to begin. With the NFL Combine, Free Agency, and the Draft all coming up within the next few months, there will be plenty of news to report. Personally, this is my favorite time of year. Now don’t get me wrong, I love watching and attending football games, but there is just something about the offseason that intrigues me. I’m not 100 percent sure what it is. I guess you can just say it’s the excitement of seeing new faces on different teams and seeing young prospects come out and work hard to make an impact on their respective team. With free agency and the draft coming up, you can surely expect the Dolphins to make some key moves as they look to take that next step and become a playoff team. They’re a lot closer than some might think. Sure, they finished 7-9 last year, but they did lose three games due to Dan Carpenter’s inability to put the ball through the uprights. On top of that, the Dolphins defense is top notch. The offense is really what’s holding them back. If they can go out and get a couple of nice free agents on the offense, this team can very much be in the hunt for a shot at the Lombardi Trophy.

Some of the needs heading into this offseason are both the guards and tackle positions, tight end, receiver, and cornerback. A couple of weeks ago I wrote an article saying who I want on the Dolphins next year. Those players included San Francisco tight end, Delanie Walker, Packers cornerback Sam Shields, and of course, Packers wide out Greg Jennings.  The article, which could be found here http://phinphanatic.com/2013/01/25/free-agents-who-could-end-up-in-miami/, states why I want those players to join the Miami Dolphins. Those are some of the players that I want. And we all know as fans just because we want someone doesn’t mean we’re going to get them. So below, I am going to make a list of the top three free agents that I believe the Dolphins realistically have a shot at getting.

Number 3: E.J Biggers

December 23, 2012; Tampa, FL, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback E.J. Biggers (31) against the St. Louis Rams prior to the game at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports

Yes, you read that correctly. It says E.J. Biggers. I’m sure most of you don’t know who he is. Well, E.J. Biggers plays cornerback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Last season Biggers played quite well. In a total of 13 games last season, Biggers had a total of 51 tackles, one interception, two forced fumbles, and he defended seven total passes.  Now it might be a bit of a downgrade from Sean Smith, but if the Dolphins do re-sign Smith, Biggers could be a nice option to line up across from him and then they could always put Richard Marshall back at the nickel position where he thrived at in Arizona. Biggers is also from Miami, so the possibility to play in the NFL where he grew up is always an intriguing option.

Number 2: Delanie Walker

Feb 3, 2013; New Orleans, LA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Delanie Walker (46) catches a pass against the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XLVII at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

I honestly believe that the Dolphins have a very realistic chance at getting Delanie Walker. Walker, who is set to hit the open market, had a fantastic year last season. In fact, if you compare him and current Dolphins tight end, Anthony Fasano, you could easily argue that Walker had a much better season. Although he had fewer catches than Fasano, Walker was still able to put up more yards. Fasano also had more touchdowns than Walker; however, it was only two more total than Walker. What the stats don’t show is Delanie Walker is a BACKUP. He is not a starter. He backs up the best tight end in the National Football League in Vernon Davis. If Walker could put those numbers up as a backup, who knows what he could do in Miami. With Tannehill continuing to grow, Walker would be a fantastic weapon for Tanny to throw to.

Number 1: Mike Wallace

Now I know a lot of people are still unsure whether Mike Wallace would be a good fit in Miami. He isn’t a red zone threat and he had a down year in Pittsburgh last year. But let’s ask the question why did he have a down year? You could answer that question in multiple ways. One, he decided not to show up to training camp until the end of it because his contract situation. If he signs with Miami he wouldn’t have a contract situation to worry about and as a result, he would not miss training camp. The second reason why last year wasn’t his best season in the NFL was due to the fact that the Steelers were unable to remain healthy at the quarterback position. One thing Wallace is good at is burning by the defenders. When Ben Roethlisberger is on the field, Wallace was as good as any receiver in the league. When Big Ben wasn’t on the field due to injuries, he had quarterbacks such as Charlie Batch and Byron Leftwitch throwing him the ball. Now those two quarterbacks aren’t the worst, but they certainly aren’t the best either. Since Wallace wasn’t in training camp, he didn’t really have time to develop an on field relationship with these two quarterbacks. Sure they know each other and I’m sure they have practiced throwing the ball to each other before; however, Wallace could’ve felt very uncomfortable without Roethlisberger on the field. If Wallace signs with the Phins, we wouldn’t have to worry about a hold out and as a result, Wallace would have an entire offseason to develop a relationship and trust with Ryan Tannehill. The Dolphins need to act fast when it comes to the receiver position, and I think Wallace would be the best and most realistic option for the Miami Dolphins this offseason.

There ya have it; those are my top three players that I believe the Dolphins have the best chance at signing. I would love to see who you think the Dolphins should or shouldn’t go after in the comments down below!

Thanks For Reading!

Follow Me On Twitter: @JustenRosenberg

August 3, 2012; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings (85) celebrates a touchdown catch by doing the “Lambeau leap” during the family night scrimmage at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

With the Super Bowl a little over a week away, the offseason is creeping right around the corner. Over the past few years the Dolphins have made some offseason acquisitions that were executed in order to help the team achieve the feat of making the playoffs. Despite some of the big named players brought in such as Karlos Dansby and Brandon Marshall, the Dolphins are still struggling to earn a spot as one of the top six teams in the AFC. Hopefully this offseason is a little bit different from the other ones. There are going to be a lot of major holes that the Dolphins are going to need to work on. Some of these areas of concern are the secondary, the wide receiver position, tight end, and last but not least, the offensive line. Below I’m going to list some free agents that realistically have a shot at signing a contract to play for the Miami Dolphins.

Number Three: Sam Shields

Dec 23, 2012; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers cornerback Sam Shields (37) celebrates a sack during the fourth quarter against the Tennessee Titans at Lambeau Field. The Packers won 55-7. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Prior to this past season, Sam Shields had a career year in the NFL and as a result, Shields came into this season with the mindset that he was going to continue to play at a high level with an increased role on the defense. Unfortunately for him it was just an okay year as opposed to a really good one. Shields failed to play in all 16 games this past season, playing in only ten games. Despite not living up to his hopes for the season, Shields still was able to perform well at times. In the ten games that Shields played in, he started eight of them. Shields ended the season with three interceptions, ten passes defended and a total of 28 tackles. Of the course of his career Shields has been a very reliable player for the Packers, but whether or not they would want to retain him, is their choice. I think Shields would be a nice pickup for the Miami Dolphins. Hey, maybe he’d even take a hometown discount?

Number Two:  Delanie Walker

Jan 12, 2013; San Francisco, CA, USA; San Francisco 49ers tight end Delanie Walker (46) warms up before the NFC divisional round playoff game against the Green Bay Packers at Candlestick Park. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

One of the biggest needs the Dolphins have coming into next season is the tight end position. Tight ends are much underrated in the National Football League. If you look at the successful teams in the league, most of them have above average tight ends. The 49ers, Ravens, Patriots, Falcons, and New Orleans all have very good tight ends. The Dolphins thought that they struck gold with Fasano; however, that wasn’t exactly the case. Don’t get me wrong, Fasano has had a couple of good seasons with the Dolphins. Despite that, the Dolphins need to go out and either draft or sign a big time tight end that can consistently catch balls and block at a high level. Delanie Walker is a guy who can do both of those really well. Playing behind Vernon Davis in San Francisco might take away some recognition from Walker, but if you watch him play, he makes big time catches and is one of the reasons behind San Francisco’s successful running game. It would be interesting to see if Walker decides to resign with San Francisco, or go out and seek an opportunity to start for another team.

Number One:  Greg Jennings

August 3, 2012; Green Bay, WI, USA; Green Bay Packers wide receiver Greg Jennings (85) celebrates a touchdown catch by doing the “Lambeau leap” during the family night scrimmage at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, WI. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports

Greg Jennings is a phenomenal receiver. Even though you probably saw him on television for Old Spice more than the Green Bay Packers, Jennings, when healthy is one of the top tier receivers in the NFL. This was by far the worst season in the league for Jennings, playing in a career low eight games, while catching only 36 balls for a total of 366 yards. Even though Jennings didn’t have a big role for the Packers this year, their offense seemed to perform pretty well. With Jordy Nelson, James Jones, and Randall Cobb already there, you’d have to wonder if the Packers want to spend money on Jennings, or address a real need on either defense, or the offensive line. I do not believe that Jennings is going to return to the Packers next season. A plus for the Dolphins is Jenning’s familiarity with head coach Joe Philbin, as Philbin was the former offensive coordinator for the Green Bay Packers. In my opinion, the secondary is a more important need for the Phins than the wide out position, but in order to help Ryan Tannehill continue to grow, it is imperative that they go out and get him some weapons.

Thanks For Reading!

Follow Me On Twitter: @JustenRosenberg