Well the health of the o-line is already in question.  With Justin Smiley and Donald Thomas still recovering from injuries suffered last season - and Jake Grove rarely making it through a full season unscathed - another injury has been reported.  And it's to Donald Thomas.  Again.

Adam Caplan of Scout.com reports that OG Donald Thomas - the second year pro that was lost for the season in 2008 after a Lisfranc injury suffered in the season opener versus the Jets - has torn a pectoral muscle during a recent workout.

Pro Footbal Talk says he will miss all of training camp but could be back for the season opener.

Penn State held its Pro Day workout today for former Nittany Lions hoping to get a shot at playing in the NFL.  In all, 18 Penn State football players participated in a variety of drills similar to those run at the combine.  Two had a stellar day, according to the Allentown Morning Call.  WR Derrick Williams and DE/OLB Aaron Maybin were reportedly much more fluid in drills and improved on many of their combine results.

After the workout, Maybin had meetings with scouts and personnel from the New York Giants and Miami Dolphins.  Maybin, whose stock was slipping after a poor showing in drills and a slow 40 time at the combine, most likely had the best workout of all 18 participants.  He ran his 40 in 4.53 seconds, more than 0.25 seconds faster than his performance in Indianapolis, and improved his vertical (from 38 to 40 inches) and broad (from 10' 4" to 10' 10") jumps.

"It was a good day," Maybin said outside Holuba Hall afterward. "I know my athletic ability and I know what I'm capable of. I put some numbers on the board that are indicative of the kind of player I am."

A lot of talk around this site has been who we should take at pick 25.  A young, pass rushing OLB would be a nice addition - though possibly a luxury we don't need at the moment.  However, Maybin seems to be improving and has solidifed himself as a first rounder.

If he is available at 25, do we take him over a CB or WR?  Thoughts?

You can read more about Maybin in a post by fellow Phinsider user GatorPhan here.

Spencer Hall of the Sporting Blog listed 3 blogs everyone should read this week in The Sporting News Today for Monday, September 22nd, 2008.  The first one listed is BSD.  Hall said this:

The standard-bearer for balancing pregame prep with punchy news streaming, Black Shoe Diaries is your custom-built wellspring for all things Paterno this season.  And that's precisely the point here: No other blog has handled the question of the aging coaching legend  with greater sensitivity, levity, and honesty than BSD.  It's skilled writing for tricky times in State College, and one of the best Big Ten blogs overall for the obsessed , bratwurst-devouring Midwestern football fan in us all.

When you click on the link above you'll have to maneuver your way to page 28 to see BSD mentioned.

According to Palm Beach Post writer Ben Volin, one of Arizona's dynamic WR duo would prefer to be on the opposite sideline come Sunday.  Veteran WR Anquan Boldin, 2003 2nd round pick out of Florida State and Offensive Rookie of the Year, would like to play for the Dolphins.  Drew Rosenhaus, Boldin's agent, has appeared on local radio saying Boldin wants to be a Dolphin.

“Clearly we have been pushing the team for a trade. … He’d look nice in a Dolphin uniform, huh?”

“We mentioned this last week, but there’s a guy that (the Dolphins are) playing against that wouldn’t mind being in a Dolphins uniform in Anquan Boldin. … It’s a shame that he’ll be wearing a Cardinals uniform against the Dolphins, than the other way around.”

So what say you, fellow Miami fans?  Is going after Boldin, at the expense of draft picks, worth it?  Arizona has flat out denied trading Boldin before so perhaps this is a moot question anyways.  But it is always fun to chat it up.

With cuts officially in here are a few people the Dolphins should consider signing, in my opinion...

ILB Victor Hobson - He started the past 3 seasons for the Jets and was given a tryout in New England.  he didn't cut it as a Patriot mostly because rookie Jerod Mayo has played quite well.  Hobson would be an ideal 4th ILB.  If I recall, we only have Crowder, Ayodele, and Torbor there.

OLB Roosevelt Colvin - He couldn't stick with the Texans mostly because they wanted to make him a DE.  He isn't nearly as explosive as he once was but he could contribute as a rushing specialist and he'd be good insurance if Joey Porter missed extended time.

OT Todd Wade - We only have 2 true tackles on the roster.  The former Dolphin would be an ideal back upm mostly at RT but he could play LT as well.  Could fill in at guard, too.

OG Kynan Forney - As I said in the Cut-down Day Open Thread, Forney is a former Falcon starter who played in 95 games the last 7 years.  He has the size and would be a veteran backup for Smiley and Thomas at OG.

There are a few more of intrigue, and plenty of Cowboys to swipe, but I think adding 1 or 2 of these men would be an added boost.  Thoughts?

Over on ESPN right now AFC East blogger Tim Graham is doing a live chat.  While I was perusing the questions and answers, I saw this

Pat (miami, fl): How many games will the dolphins win this season?

SportsNation Tim Graham: (12:16 PM ET ) I'm going with 6 or 7. The AFC East plays a week schedule.

Overlooking Graham's bad spelling/grammar (it's weak, Timmy), it is nice to see a supposedly unbiased writer buying into the organization.  Graham is a former Dolphins beat writer so maybe he still favors the "home team".  Nevertheless, most Dolphins fans around here seem to think this team is capable of at least 5 wins and more likely 6 or 7.  After the development over the last few weeks and a few key performances in the preseason games, I don't see why 6 or 7 wins would be a stretch.  We should take many teams - and their fans - by surprise this year.

Also, I think saying a teams schedule is "week" before the season begins is moot.  No one really knows how a specific team will perform.  What happens if the AFC East becomes as competitive as the NFC East or AFC South is believed to be?  I'm not saying that will happen.  But no one truly knows what team has the most difficult (or easiest) schedule until all the games are played.  Talked to me again in January.

Eagles veteran OG Shawn Andrews has not shown up for training camp yet.  The team says he isn't holding out but his absence is unexcused.  Pro Football Talk has posted a report from Philadelphia radio station WIP that the Eagles may consider trading Andrews, for whatever reason.  With only one position unclaimed along our offensive line and with Andrews being arguably one of the best interior linemen in the game, would you be willing to trade our recently acquired 2nd round pick from the Redskins and probably a 4th or 5th rounder to get Andrews?  This isn't a temporary fix.  Andrews is only 25 and the Dolphins were strongly considering him in the 2004 draft before the Eagles traded up to grab him.  We took Vernon Carey later.  A line of Long, Smiley, Satelel, Andrews, and Carey could end up being one of the best line sin the game...and together for the next 5 or 6 years.  His current contract runs through 2015.  Thoughts on this?  While it is unlikely, I don't think I'd hesitate to grab him for a 2nd and 4th rounder.

PFT article

Doug over at Pro Football Reference used his Approximate Value Method to determine Miami's (and, eventually, every NFL team) All-Franchise team.  You can view the AFC East's All-Franchise teams here.  Obviously Marino is the QB, and he actually ranks as the most prolific player in the current format of the AFC East with an AV score of 146.  Bruce Smith comes in 2nd in the East at 139.  Of the 4 divisions PFR has done (AFC North, NFC South, NFC West, AFC East), Marino ranks only behind Jerry Rice's 151.

Besides Marino, Miami had Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor rank over 100 AV.  Interestingly, Thomas accumulated a 111 AV to JT's 109.

In the comments you can see that it was basically a coin flip between Duper and Clayton.  Duper got the spot with a 76 but Clayton registered a 75.  It is also mentioned that former ILB Duhe came in at 51 and, if he were to shift to the outside, would make the team over Doug Swift (47).

Further down in the comments Doug answers a question about players breaking 100 AV and the Hall of Fame.  He basically says that any player that breaches the 100 mark deserves to be in the HoF... but it doesn't mean they will be selected.

Some notable exceptions from the Miami team include Mercury Morris and Bill Stanfill, as pointed out by Tom Gillispie.

The Jets were the only team in the AFC East to not have a player rank above 100.  Their best player, Mo Lewis, was an 88.

ESPN polled the NFL coaches on some superlatives of NFL players.  Rodney Harrison was voted "Dirtiest Player".  Former Dolphin Zach Thomas beat out Ray Lewis for smartest defensive player.  See the article here.  I always thought ESPN, the non-local media, and casual football fans overlooked Zach .  I am glad he is being noticed and recognized.  Too bad he isn't a Dolphin anymore.  Congratulations Zach!

These words added to meet the obligatory 75 word minimum.  Wow I hate that requirement.