Greetings Jets fans,

I'm heading down to Jersey this Sunday for the Miami-New York showdown, where unfortunately the most we can do is play spoiler. Granted, it would be fun to do so; nonetheless, we have no shot at the playoffs and are going to get the most entertainment out of New England's and your end-of-season performance.

Anyway, I heard a little while back from one of your members that people have been beaten up in elevators and the like. Now, I'm not a big guy. I'm a 22-year-old, 5'6", around 155 lbs. I'm tiny by a lot of standards, for an adult male. My dad is about the same height, just a hundred or so lbs. heavier.

Should I be worried on this trip? Will I even enjoy myself, or will I constantly be watching my back? Is wearing a Dolphins jersey a death sentence? I am, btw, a Miami fan living in Connecticut. Will I get the shit kicked out of me merely for attending, whether I reveal my fandom or not? Especially if I associate myself in any way at all with fellow Dolphins fans attending the game?

It seems rather unfair and pretty disturbing that I should have to consider all this. If I were going to a Bills game, or any other non-AFC East game involving the Dolphins as a road team, I can't imagine I would even contemplate the consequences. The fact that I'm nervous to come out in one piece just because I'll be entering Jets territory, even as an undeclared fan, is pretty messed up.

I would greatly appreciate if somebody could dispel this feeling for me, or at least confirm it so that I know to have the local hospital's telephone number on me at all times.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Dave.Phuller

Hey guys, truly couldn't tell if we had already posted one of these up, but don't believe so; I'm gonna go ahead and do so anyway if you don't mind.

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Greetings Bengals fans,

As your game notes say, this is our attempt at 4-0 on the road this season, an impressive feat. I can honestly say I'm glad we're away from home for this game. I feel we have a better chance this way.

Either way, we expect you to field a strong team this weekend, and I don't expect either side to win handily. Good luck to both teams.

However, and I apologize for "breaking tradition," but I have a question for you guys to open things up: What's up with Joseph, what kind of injury is he dealing with, and how is he looking with regard to chances of playing this weekend?

Let me preface this by saying that this Sunday's game falls on my birthday. Can't imagine a better 22nd birthday gift than a Miami win.

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Greetings; not necessarily from the Phinsider (though that is my "resident" blog), but as a fan of the Miami Dolphins and, more importantly, a human being.

I wish your team the best of luck, and I do not say this in a condescending way. I believe these teams match up well against each other respectively, and have full faith that this will be a back-and-forth game until the fourth quarter. Forgive my bias, and I do not wish to sound ignorant or presumptuous, but I believe that the Dolphins have more urgency and will thrive off the home crowd enough to give them the edge as the clock counts down to zero.

I predict 28-24, Miami.

I'm sure this type of thing has been beaten to death already, and it was not my intent to post this up as a "my team will beat yours, let me hear your rebuttal" type post. No, instead, after watching Jay Cutler get his ass handed to him on a silver platter eight times before being put out of his misery with a game-ending (for him, anyway) sack resulting in a concussion last night, this is my point:

We derive so much of our energy, our passion, our joy or depression from the results of our favorite teams week-in and week-out. We expect so much of them; to go out there every weekend and literally put their health on the line, sometimes even their lives. Fortunately, that's extraordinarily rare, but it is still a possibility. Yet, we do not afford them the same benefits that we see in our individual lives: safety. These guys could suffer from post-concussion symptoms, or joint/bone/cartilage/muscle/ligament pain, or, really, anything, as early as their mid-30s. I cannot begin to imagine millions of dollars being worth a shortened or miserable life, and I for one would like to stop taking the people who play this sport, which I love with all of my sports-loving heart, for granted.

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Hey Jets fans, good win. No facetious attitude here, you played well and deserved the win. I don't understand how we don't double Keller all first quarter, but I digress. Sanchez played one hell of a game and the better team on the field for these 60 minutes won the game.

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Well, well, well. We all know about the general principle: the closest way to figuring out your opponent's playbook (within the rules of the NFL, of course) is to sign a player from the team who knows them.

Does nobody else think of it as odd that Buffalo is the team to have signed David Martin, the recently cut Miami tight end, shortly after being cut? Of course, the Bills need tight end help, and Martin is a strong veteran presence at the position. Does he still have it? Perhaps. Miami could have been working through loopholes in cutting him before yesterday's deadline. More importantly, I think Chan Gailey is using our "trash" against us; another man's "treasure" indeed.

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Greetings Bears fans,

I'm doing a bit of dynasty league fantasy research by going around to a few blogs of the deep-deep-named players I have an interest in or ownership of. If you don't mind, I'd like to get your thoughts next.

I picked up Harvey Unga last week after having traded Matt Forte. Chester Taylor is also on my squad. Forte netted me Dallas Clark and Laurence Maroney, so I feel good about that deal. I feel Taylor will take too many reps and is a better option on third down for blitz pickup and running routes out of the backfield.

But can you tell me: is Unga worth holding onto? Where is he on the depth chart, and how big an impact will he have in the short- and long-term?

Much appreciated. Good luck to Chicago this year. I'll be pulling for their ground game to dominate.

P.S. The league is deep enough that I've made considerations for him; that he shouldn't even be drafted is not an issue. Also; how do we feel about dealing for Knox? What are some projections or thoughts on his talent and potential for a break-out season?

Hello Field Gulls,

I am in a 12-team dynasty league and somewhat short on quarterbacks. After Warner retired, I'm left with only Matt Schaub and Chad Henne. Some of the stronger teams in the league (my brother, for example; you know I need to maintain dominance over him especially) have a stable of quarterbacks such as Matthew Stafford, Tony Romo, Kevin Kolb, and Aaron Rodgers. So, yeah. Schaub and Henne will not cut it.

I have found your fans and bloggers to be some of the most intelligent in the entire SBNation blogosphere, and would greatly appreciate any and all scouting or short- and long-term prospecting/scouting on Charlie Whitehurst.

If this is a site made up of fans who don't particularly care about the fantasy aspect of football, I do apologize for taking up your time with trivial matters.

Thank you, and I appreciate any and all advice you can contribute.

Sincerely, David A. Fuller

Fantasy Football continues to sweep the nation every fall. I think it's time that it swept the SBNation as well.

You know, it was CHiYNB who got me to thinking (and Bicycle, please do forgive me if you feel this is infringing on your idea or stealing your innovation; that is not my intention here): why not do a fantasy football league for the entire site? SBNation as a whole has 32 sports blogs dedicated to this wonderful league of ours known as the NFL. Yahoo! Fantasy Leagues allow you to hold up to 20 teams in a given league, but I don't want to isolate anybody. Find my idea after the jump.

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http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/The-NFL-loses-American-Needle-What-it-means?urn=nfl,243282

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In the wake of Silver-gate (I toyed with the idea of Prostitute-gate, but decided the former would be more family-friendly), we have lost touch of what truly deserves the media and fan attention: the 2010 NFL Draft, undrafted free agents and the rookie mini-camps (as well as invitees), newly assigned numbers and those rescinded, etc. Even more still, there are hints of tweaks to the current defensive schemes, arguments of tradition vs. business, bold predictions, and the like.

Lost in these various topics is the subject matter of Brandon Marshall and what he actually means to this offense. Sure, when he was acquired, we all made a fuss. Siestas were taken, condoms were bought and used ferociously (hat tip to Fr8Train), alcohol was consumed in large doses, and yet the surface of his impact was merely skimmed by fans and analysts alike.

Let's break away from the stories that just don't cut it during the summer doldrums, the stories that just don't deserve the myriad attention they're receiving. Hop, skip, and make the jump to read some of what I find news-worthy when everything else in the media seems contrived and repetitious.

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With the 28th pick in the NFL Draft, the Miami Dolphins select..

Jared Odrick, Defensive Tackle, Penn State University

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Three years ago, we lost three-year veteran Wes Welker. Three years later, we got him back.

Wesley Carter Welker was an undrafted free agent out of Texas Tech university. There, he caught 259 passes for 3,019 yards and 21 touchdowns. He also won the Mosi Tatupu award as the top special teams football player in the nation. Wes still holds the all-time NCAA records for most punt returns in a season with eight.

Welker was not invited to the NFL Combine. His pre-draft measurables from the Texas Tech Pro Day are as follows: 5'8¾", 195 lbs., 4.65-40. He also had a 4.01 20-ss, 7.09 3-cone, 30" vertical, and a 9'05" broad jump. He went on to sign with the San Diego Chargers after having all 32 teams skip on him seven(-plus) times, and made the team out of training camp. The Miami Dolphins signed him after he was cut following Week 1 of the 2004 regular season.

Wait, after having just scanned the Miami Dolphins roster, I just realized Wes has changed his name and number. I repeat, Wes Welker's new legal name is Davone Atrayo Bess, and his number is 15.

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This will be short and sweet, but I want to through a thought out for all of you to ponder.

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http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2010/04/01/bears-release-alex-brown/

Alex Brown, the 6'3", 260 lb. linebacker defensive end and former (as of today) Chicago Bear is now on the open market. This guy has put up something like 43.5 sacks over eight hard-working years, and guess what: he's just a few pounds over perfect Bill Parcells linebacker range.

Am I saying he could definitely play OLB in a 3-4 after having played eight seasons in a 4-3? No. But he's only 30 and has a lot of talent. The kid could probably pick up our system after a year, and would certainly be worth at least LOOKING at considering our lack of talent or depth at the position.

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But ESPN's K.C. Joyner, who graded Williams' 2009 work, said that though his ``upside is tremendous,'' he's inconsistent and won only one of 17 point-of-attack run blocks he faced versus UF and Auburn. Picking Williams 12th is ``way too high -- he wasn't a dominant player,'' said Sporting News analyst/ex-Browns scout Russ Lande.

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Let me preface this by saying that my though processes on free agency moves and the draft are a roller coaster of a ride in terms of who I like, who I don't like, what I think we should do, what I think we shouldn't do, etc. Even still, the General Manager in all of us has a more general knowledge of where this team's direction should lie, and we base our specific opinions off that.

Let me also preface this by saying: do not bother reading if you don't like reading in-depth posts.

The 2010 NFL Draft is a month and a week or so away, and rumors have not yet run rampant. While the Rumor Mill does not directly affect who a team will select with any of their picks, it does give a hint as to who they will not be picking. How often was Vontae Davis, or the cornerback position in general, discussed or mulled over publicly by Parcells and co. last season? As I recall, not much. Even before the majority of Pro Days take place, there has been enough time for scouts and fans alike to analyze the play of potential draftees and the general logic that takes place behind the scenes when each front office sets their April draft board.

So, where do we stand half-way through March? Who will be a Miami Dolphin come late April? Who won't?

Call it fact, call it opinion, call it whatever you want. Here's what I've got for the first round:

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Per Adam Schefter again:

Dolphins terminated the contracts of linebackers Akin Ayodele and Joey Porter along with safety Gibril Wilson.

The official site is also reporting.

Well, Akin Ayodele had been a rumor up until now (that is, assuming this is legitimate information from a credible source) and we had merely been waiting for Joey Porter to be gone. Truth be told, I had hoped they would hold him until the very last day before his bonus was due. Make him sweat, don't give in to what he wants.

We already knew about Gibril, but could this bode well for our chances of landing former Cardinal Karlos Dansby? That's two linebackers in one day.

Per Adam Schefter's Twitter page:

Gibril Wilson will be released today, according to agent Alvin Keels.

and The Daily Dolphin.

Well, at least he's straight and to the point. What does this mean for the prospect of Antrel Rolle arriving in Miami, or how the front office feels about Chris Clemons and Tyrone Culver? This is very interesting to say the least, specifically after Jeff Ireland defended Gibril just last week. Mike Nolan strikes again.

http://www.mockingthedraft.com/2010/2/17/1315162/2010/2/17/1315162/demaryius-thomas-breaks-his-foot

Yeah, I know, wow, how corny am I? Sometimes, very.

Anyway, there goes a second round option at WR. I was actually starting to like Thomas and the prospect of taking him in the second or possibly stealing him in the third. Granted, that's still a possibility if he falls, which is likely now. He won't be able to do anything positive for himself at the Combine, and running routes well was what he needed to do to get into that high/mid second round area.

No longer.

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http://www.sbnation.com/2010/2/11/1306144/antonio-pierce-giants-cut

Well, former defensive captain Antonio Pierce is no longer a New York Giant. He's also up there in age (32), but our issues at ILB are well-documented.

If we can't bring a Karlos Dansby here, what are your feelings on bringing him here for a 1-year contract? He used to be a spectacular player, and is likely still an intelligent one. We know what Ray Lewis is still bringing at his age.


I'd be lying if I told you I have been following Pierce the past few seasons, so if he's washed up by now, just move on and simply make the comment that this is the case. At 32, however, is he or is he not at least worth a look as a low-tier veteran addition?

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After having read a post detailing on the worst drafts of the decade and reading a specific comment noting that Vontae Davis is the worst starting cornerback in the AFC East (not to mention that the same person stated that he would not be surprised if Davis was relegated to the bench as an NFL player within a few seasons), I've decided to address this topic with my thoughts. Note: to that person who made that comment, I'm sure you know who you are. Once you read this post, please realize my intention wasn't to call you out, I just wanted to use that comment as an example from which to build off of with my subsequent point. I respect you, as I do most of the fans on this site, enough not to do this without having a reason for it.

Matty himself brought up a stat in another post showing that Vontae allowed 60% of passes thrown his way to go for completions. Yes, this is an awful percentage. A starting CB in the NFL who hopes to be successful at a high level should not be allowing such holes in coverage. You know what? In this case, I completely disagree with the common cliche that "stats don't lie." I firmly believe that even if Davis does not develop into the "shutdown corner" that a Nnamdi Asomugha is (or, that Sean Smith seems to be heading toward with proper coaching and further seasoning), he will still be one of the top corners in this league given similar coaching and seasoning, for our system, period.

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