On the Eve of Washington: Miami Dolphins 2007 Season Preview
The Miami Dolphins haven’t made the playoffs since 2001. That’s when the Colts went 6-10, and were in the AFC East. Long time ago. Dave Wannstedt, the coach at that time started the Miami Dolphins decline, and the Phins have since recycled him and traitor Nick Saban.
In marches Cam Cameron, the San Diego Chargers offensive coordinator for the past four seasons, in which the Chargers offense was ranked 3rd, 5th, and 1st in points scored during the last three. The Miami Dolphins ranked 28th, 16th, and 29th over the past three seasons. This was the point in hiring Cameron this off-season. Cameron becomes the first offensive minded coach for the Miami Dolphins in 41 years since George Wilson.
 Key offensive additions this season include Trent Green, Ted Ginn Jr., and Samson Satele. The latter two are rookies, and Green is a 37-year-old veteran. However, Green will bring immediate improvement to the quarterback position in just managing the game. Ginn Jr., the Miami Dolphins first round pick was drafted to replace Wes Welker who was lost to the Patriots. He should be an improvement as he is bigger and faster than Welker. Satele is now the Dolphins starter at center and controls an offensive line, which is the biggest question mark on the team. Satele, a second round pick out of Hawaii has been excellent in the pre-season and is under the tutelage of one of the best offensive line coaches in the league: Hudson Houck.
However, the offensive line, as I said is a large concern again this season. The team has gone through another off-season of completely overhauling the line. Not one of the five positions is the same. Each of the past three seasons now, this has been the case, and it has taken them about half the season to really gel. Luckily this year, the Dolphins first half is much easier than their second half.
The defense is set this year, and they are loaded with depth. Finishing 4th overall in total yards allowed last season, and Jason Taylor winning Defensive Player of the Year Award, the Phins are bound to improve. They will be one of the top five defenses in the league again. Even though Nick Saban is gone and Cam Cameron has taken over, defensive coordinator Dom Capers was retained which has allowed the unit to grow and build upon its success from a year ago. Also, last season was the first year in the Capers system, so the second year is bound to be better and more complex. In fact, Jason Taylor’s role has been even more expanded.
 The big off-season acquisition of Joey Porter will open up lanes for players like Taylor and Zach Thomas to expand their game even more. Jason Taylor is being called a “Jack” this season. The name comes from the saying “Jack of all trades.” You will never know where Jason Taylor is going to line up, or what he is going to do. He could be lined up in a three point stance as if he’s going to rush the passer, and then drop back in coverage. He can also blitz the quarterback as if he is a linebacker. Joey Porter’s pass rushing ability on the opposite side could cause some serious headaches for opposing quarterbacks and offenses.
Another player who is likely to benefit from the expanded role of Taylor and the addition of Porter is third year linebacker Channing Crowder who has quietly had success in each of his first two seasons. Crowder is likely going to be unblocked on a lot of plays and will have the opportunity to have a huge season.
As far as depth, the Dolphins drafted Paul Soliai, also out of Hawaii to back up Keith Traylor at nose tackle. The 38-year-old Traylor hardly played any of the pre-season in order to keep himself fresh. Therefore, Soliai got a lot of playing time and performed extremely well. Soliai will most likely be the starter by mid-season because of Traylor’s age and durability. He usually drops out around the 7th or 8th game.
Matt Roth, who was drafted the same year as Crowder, has spent two seasons behind Kevin Carter. With Carter’s departure to Tampa Bay, Roth has been given the opportunity to start. Roth also had an excellent pre-season and is bound to have an enormous year opposite Jason Taylor.
Special teams has two new specialists: kicker Jay Feely and rookie seventh-round draft choice punter Brandon Fields. Feely replaced Olindo Mare, who missed 10 field goals last year and has been on a steady decline for a while. Feely was brought in because he can kick in cold and inclement weather. Also, there will only be one game played this season on the Marlins infield dirt: the home opener against Dallas. Fields has a huge leg and should continuously give opponents bad field position while Ginn Jr. will improve the Miami Dolphins field position.
Overall, the Miami Dolphins are better than they were last season, but are still in a rebuilding year with a brand new offense. Look for about 6-9 wins this season. They likely won’t make the playoffs as they are in a very tough division and competitive conference. Their last four games of the year are at Buffalo, Baltimore, at New England, and Cinicinnati. That doesn’t bode well for a playoff push.
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