Well Draft Day 2012 is finally here! And not a moment too soon, if you ask me.

Enough with the over-analysis of players whose stocks are rising or falling. After all, that's a bunch of bull. It's not so much that these players are dramatically rising or falling from when the offseason began. Rather, it's that now more is known about what teams have been thinking for months and months. More time has gone by and more info has leaked out - some of which is totally untrue, of course.

But I love this time of year. I love reading mock drafts. I love doing mock drafts. And I'm sure I'm not the only one. So I have created a Predict The Pick league on NFL.com. Feel free to join and create your mock draft to see how we all stack up:

Link to join: http://predictpick.nfl.com/groups/view/812
League Name: Matty's League
Password: Dolphins8

Now onto my final 2012 mock draft:

1. Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford

2. Washington Redskins - Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor

3. Minnesota Vikings - Matt Kalil, OT, USC

4. Cleveland Browns - Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU

6. St. Louis Rams - Justin Blackmon, WR, Oklahoma St.

7. Jacksonville Jaguars - Melvin Ingram, DE/OLB, South Carolina

My Take: While many now have Claiborne going to Minnesota and Fletcher Cox going to St. Louis, I am sticking with the same top 7 as I've had for most of the draft season. The only pick I even really considered modifying was JAcksonville's selection at 7. I think they could go with CB Stephon Gilmore or DT Fletcher Cox here. Even WR Michael Floyd would make some sense. But since WR is deep, I think they address that need in round 2.

8. Miami Dolphins - Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M

My Take: After previously having Quinton Coples here at 8, I've gone back to my original thought - which is the Dolphins stop worrying about getting good "draft value" and take the potential long-term QB solution. It doesn't matter if you take him at 8 or at 20. If you think he is going to be a GOOD quarterback, you draft him when you have the chance. Period. And if you don't like him at 8, then you probably shouldn't like him at 20, either. Value is irrelevant when it comes to the QB position.

Is he elite? Not yet. Will he be elite? I don't know. But can he be a top 10 NFL QB in 2 or 3 years? I believe so. This is the pick I WANT the Dolphins to make. And this is the pick I do BELIEVE the Dolphins will make.

9. Carolina Panthers - Fletcher Cox, DT, Mississippi St.

10. Buffalo Bills - Stephon Gilmore, CB, South Carolina

11. Kansas City Chiefs - Luke Kuechly, LB, Boston College

12. Seattle Seahawks - Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina

13. Arizona Cardinals - David DeCastro, G, Stanford

14. Dallas Cowboys - Mark Barron, S, Alabama

15. Philadelphia Eagles - Michael Brockers, DT, LSU

My Take: I think that the rest of the top 15 could see a number of possible trades - starting with Carolina at nine. Teams interested in Cox, Gilmore, or Barron will jockey for position here. The Cowboys, Eagles, Bengals, and Chargers are all candidates to move up for one of those three "hot" players.

16. New York Jets - Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame

17. Cincinnati Bengals - Courtney Upshaw, DE/OLB, Alabama

18. San Diego Chargers - Chandler Jones, DE/OLB, Syracuse

19. Chicago Bears - Riley Reiff, OT, Iowa

20. Tennessee Titans - Whitney Mercilus, DE, Illinois

My Take: The Jets are a wildcard in all this. While I don't buy the possibility they could trade up to #3 to get Richardson, I wouldn't rule out a move up to 7 for Ingram. I wouldn't be shocked if they took any of the pass rushers still on the board at 16 (Jones, Perry, Mercilus). As for Chandler Jones, he's a guy who we recently have learned is high on many teams' draft boards. Reiff, on the other hand, went from a possible top 10 pick back in January to a mid to late 1st rounder. Alligator arms will do that to a lineman, though.

21. Cincinnati Bengals - Cordy Glenn, G, Georgia

22. Cleveland Browns - Kendall Wright, WR, Baylor

23. Detroit Lions - Dre Kirkpatrick, CB, Alabama

24. Pittsburgh Steelers - Dont'a Hightower, LB, Alabama

25. Denver Broncos - Dontari Poe, DT, Memphis

My Take: I have Poe lower than most. That's because I think his film hurts him. He should have dominated in college. He didn't. Hightower is a guy who I think some teams may look to trade up for. But if he's still on the board at 24, how can the Steelers pass him up? He's a typical Pittsburgh linebacker.

26. Houston Texans - Coby Fleener, TE, Stanford

27. New England Patriots - Nick Perry, DE/OLB, USC

28. Green Bay Packers - Shea McClellin, DE/OLB, Boise St.

29. Baltimore Ravens - Peter Konz, C, Wisconsin

30. San Francisco 49ers - Stephen Hill, WR, Georgia Tech

31. New England Patriots - Kendall Reyes, DT, UCONN

32. New York Giants - Jonathan Martin, OT, Stanford

With just two weeks to go before the NFL Draft, I thought I would update my mock draft a little bit. We are smack dab in the middle of the annual "smokescreen" season. It's nearly impossible to discern the total B.S. from what may actually be accurate. But trying to wade through the dung can be fun - even if it's fruitless.

With that said, I give you version two of my mock draft:

1. Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
This one is obvious - and kind of unfair - as the Colts once again step in a nice pile of poop at just the right time. Colts suck in 1997, land #1 pick in '98 and draft Peyton Manning. Now they suck in 2011, land the #1 pick in '12 and can get Luck - the best QB prospect since Manning - to replace Manning.

2. Washington Redskins - Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
The Redskins made the bold move up in the draft to select their franchise QB - kind of like what Dolphins fans were hoping to see their team do. And for what it's worth, I'm a huge believer in RG3. I like Andrew Luck more. But Griffin is going to be a star.

3. Minnesota Vikings - Matt Kalil, OT, USC
There are only 2 ways I see the Vikings not taking Kalil. One would be if they choose to go with Morris Claiborne. The other would be if a team ponies up a nice package to trade up into the #3 pick. Otherwise, these first three picks are locked in already.

4. Cleveland Browns - Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
The Browns could go in a number of directions here. Trent Richardson, Justin Blackmon, or Ryan Tannehill are all on the table. They need offensive firepower and all three of these guys would provide that. Right now, I think they take Richardson because he can be a workhorse and take pressure off whoever their QB is going to be. He makes an immediate impact and gives this Browns offense a legitimate play-maker.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
In Greg Schiano's first draft, look for Tampa to boost the talent level of their defense. Schiano is a defensive coach at heart and Claiborne is possibly the best defensive player in the draft.

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Hi everyone! I know it's been a while and I hope all is well (or, at least, as well as things can be when your a fan of a team like the Miami Dolphins ).

Many of you probably remember that I love the NFL Draft - and specifically the build-up and analysis that surrounds it. You probably recall that I would post an updated mock draft every two weeks or so (ah, those were the days). While I'll probably not revise this mock draft as often as I used to (or would like), I just can't help but post a mock of my own.

So below is my first crack at a 2012 NFL Mock Draft:

1. Indianapolis Colts - Andrew Luck, QB, Stanford
This one is obvious - and kind of unfair. I mean, Colts suck in 1997, land #1 pick in '98 and draft Peyton Manning. Now they suck in 2011, land the #1 pick in '12 and can get Luck - the best QB prospect since Manning - to replace Manning.

2. Washington Redskins - Robert Griffin III, QB, Baylor
The Redskins made the bold move up in the draft to select their franchise QB - kind of like what Dolphins fans were hoping to see their team do. And for what it's worth, I'm a huge believer in RG3. I like Andrew Luck more. But Griffin is going to be a star.

3. Minnesota Vikings - Matt Kalil, OT, USC
The only way I see the Vikings not taking Kalil is if they choose to go with Morris Claiborne. Otherwise, these first three picks are locked in already.

4. Cleveland Browns - Trent Richardson, RB, Alabama
The Browns could go in a number of directions here. Trent Richardson, Justin Blackmon, or Ryan Tannehill are all on the table. They need offensive firepower and all three of these guys would provide that. Right now, I think they take Richardson because he can be a workhorse and take pressure off whoever their QB is going to be.

5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Morris Claiborne, CB, LSU
In Greg Schiano's first draft, look for Tampa to boost the talent level of their defense. Schiano is a defensive coach at heart and Claiborne is possibly the best defensive player in the draft.

Continue reading this post »

Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross might be the dumbest smart guy in the country - or, at least, in the public eye.

Perhaps "dumb" isn't the right word. Maybe "naive" would better describe Ross. However you want to describe him, though, one thing is clear. He is at the top of the organizational chart for what has become the most incompetent franchise in the National Football League.

You would have thought Ross had learned his lesson last year.

We all remember the debacle that was the botched pursuit of then Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh just ten months ago - a situation that wouldn't have been the black eye that it was to this franchise if the team didn't already have a head coach under contract. That mess resulted in an awkward media gathering that featured not only a denial from Stephen Ross that he had pursued another head coach while the position within the organization was filled, but that also included the announcement of Tony Sparano's contract extension.

Here we are just ten months removed from that display of organizational ineptitude and yet again we're facing a nearly identical situation - and one that could result in far greater consequences than the previous fiasco.

A number of reports have surfaced over the past twenty four hours that claim the Miami Dolphins are contacting Bill Cowher on some level to essentially gauge his interest in the head coaching position of the Dolphins - a position that is currently filled. But I guess that small detail has never stopped Stephen Ross in the past.

Barry Jackson does point out that neither Ross or any actual team officials have contacted any potential head coaches because "Ross is careful about conducting a coaching search the right way after he was criticized in January for meeting with then Stanford head coach Jim Harbaugh with Tony Sparano still employed." However, Jackson adds that his source wouldn't be surprised if an associate of Ross "reached out indirectly to Cowher."

Jason Cole, meanwhile, goes one step further by saying that Cowher's CBS analyst partner by the name of Dan Marino has informed Dolphins management that Cowher is geared up for a return to coaching. Cole cites "two sources in and around the team." Mike Freeman uses the term "intermediaries for the Miami Dolphins" in his report regarding the Dolphins and their pursuit of Bill Cowher.

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I posed this question on Twitter and the numerous responses I've gotten have been split. So I wanted to create a quick poll to see what fans think.

The question is simple: If the Dolphins go 9-7 this year AND Chad Henne has a solid season (showing obvious improvement) but the Dolphins DO NOT make the playoffs, does Tony Sparano return as head coach in 2012?

So as to not influence the vote, I'm going to hold my opinion for now.

Hey everyone - long time, no talk! As many of you probably can guess, I've been keeping busy with my new job and haven't had much time to sit down and write. Of course, I have been keeping active on Twitter (@TheMattyI). But I did want to make sure I had a few moments to post my annual season predictions.

Though I didn't fare too well last year in terms of picking the playoff teams (only hit on 6 of the 12), I did nail down the Super Bowl Champions and was very close to hitting on both Super Bowl teams (I had Packers beating Ravens). So I'm hoping to do a little better this season.

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Over four and a half years ago, the fine people of SB Nation took a chance on a kid with no writing/blogging experience of any kind - only a passion for the Miami Dolphins. Since that time, that kid has had the opportunity to interview Dolphins players (like Jason Taylor and Brian Hartline), South Florida sports writers (like Dave Hyde and Greg Cote), and national football writers (like Michael Lombardi and Wes Bunting) - all while building the biggest, most knowledgeable, and most passionate Miami Dolphins community on the internet.

Of course the lucky kid I'm referring to is myself. And truthfully, I still can't believe SBN gave me this opportunity back in 2006. I had just graduated college and was starting graduate school. I had no track record of running and growing a website like this. And I certainly never believed it would have grown to what it has become today.

I essentially planned on using this platform as my outlet, my escape, from grad school work. Hell, we all know that this football team drives us friggin' mad most of the time. So I figured writing about the week to week and year to year disappointments of the Dolphins would be very good therapy. Living up in New Jersey, there obviously aren't many Dolphins fans to vent with. So I thought that the platform SBN was providing me would also help me cope with the annual frustration that we all have come to expect out of this team by interacting with a few Dolphins fans.

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While I haven't actually gone fishing, I am going away on vacation for the week. And no, this is not what our vacations are like in New Jersey - contrary to popular belief.

What this does mean is that there's a real good chance that the NFL lockout will actually end this week with a new CBA being reached. Why? Because that's the kind of breaking news that is known to go down while I'm away on vacation. Seriously. So I fully expect a new CBA to at least be agreed to in principle sometime between now and Friday.

I'll still be active on Twitter, of course, when I get bored of laying on the beach all day. And I'll hopefully have some contributors posting throughout the week.

So have a great week, all. And I'll see you on Twitter and back here in a week.

The ups and downs of negotiating a collective bargaining agreement continue. But one thing is clear - both sides are obviously committed to getting a deal done sooner rather than later. Could it be as soon as this weekend? Possibly. By next week? It better be.

There's just too much money that would be lost if even one week of the preseason was cancelled - an estimated $200 to $300 million according to some reports. Considering the sides have been arguing over how to split the total revenue pie, I don't see how either side would be happy seeing that pie shrink - if even for one year.

With that said, there is obviously a lot of work to be done once a new CBA is finalized. I certainly do not envy general managers around the league who will have to deal with signing their own free agents, pursuing potential additions via free agency and trades, signing undrafted free agents, and signing the guys they drafted back in April. And all of that will have to be done while preparing for training camp.

Some free agency chatter is where this week's "five" begins.

1. It's beginning to seem like the Miami Dolphins' top targets in free agency are coming into focus. I've been hearing for weeks about three players that the Dolphins will make a priority once free agency finally begins - both from my own people and from others who have their own sources. And now there comes this report from Marc Kohn, who has been on the money with Dolphins information in the past. Kohn writes that "sources are saying that Vince Young is most likely taking his talents to South Beach."

The report also mentions what has been said numerous times - that Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer is really the Dolphins' number one choice. But as we all know, owner Mike Brown is just stubborn enough to force Palmer into retirement rather than actually benefit his team by acquiring draft picks for the veteran signal caller.

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Can the Dolphins find a way to pry away Carson Palmer from Cincinnati despite owner Mike Brown's stubbornness? Can Denver be enticed to trade Kyle Orton? How pricey will Kevin Kolb be? When Tennessee releases Vince Young, will the Dolphins bite? What about free agents Matt Hasselbeck, Marc Bulger, and Donovan McNabb?

Those are the many questions that pretty much every Miami Dolphins fan has been pondering and debating since March. It feels like a lifetime since the Dolphins didn't have quarterback questions surrounding the organization. For some very young fans, it actually has been a lifetime. And as this lockout continues to drag on, all we can do is continually discuss and debate the pros and cons of each potential quarterback until a new league year begins.

However, I want to drop a little nugget of truth on you all. It's something that I think many fans have forgotten. And it's something that's very important to keep in mind once training camp does finally begin.

Unless the Dolphins trade for Palmer, Orton, or Kolb, the veteran quarterback that does end up in Miami will have to beat out incumbent Chad Henne for the starting job.

Insert laughter and/or snarky remarks now.

Is that out of your system? Good. Now hear me out.

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Once the lockout finally does end, the Miami Dolphins will have a couple of interesting decisions to make along the offensive line. The interior line is obviously where most of the focus will be. But I think that it would be unwise to assume that Vernon Carey's roster spot is safe this year.

Vernon Carey, Right Tackle

Why the Dolphins should keep him

Prior to the end of the 2010 season, "Big Vern" has been the model of consistency in Miami since his rookie season in 2004. Prior to being listed as inactive last year against the Jets in week 14, Carey had played in 104 consecutive regular season games dating back to his rookie year - including a streak of 87 consecutive starts.

Just as impressive as his streaks has been his consistent play. Regardless of how successful the team has been, Carey has been as steady an offensive tackle as there is in the game. His versatility is also worth noting. His experience at left tackle is invaluable to this team, who lacks solid depth behind current left tackle Jake Long.

Why the Dolphins should cut him

The obvious reason centers around money, of course. Carey will see his salary jump from $950,000 in 2010 to $4.15 million in 2011 - with his salary escalating to over $5 million in '12. That is a lot of money for an average right tackle.

What? Average? Yes - I said it. Based on the study done by Pro Football Focus, Vernon Carey was the 15th ranked right tackle in 2010 in terms of pass protection. Meanwhile, according to Football Outsiders, the Dolphins ranked 15th in the league in running behind their right tackle. So yes - average is what Carey was in 2010.

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I hope you all had a great holiday weekend. Now it's back to reality and the start of what is a very big week for the National Football League. The players and owners get back to the bargaining table for four consecutive days of meetings beginning today. Significant progress towards a new collective bargaining agreement must be made by the week's end if the league wants to see training camps start on time.

The key date is July 15. If a new CBA can be signed and delivered by that day, camps will start on time and no preseason games will be missed. But to maintain that timeline, the two sides must be very close to an agreement by the end of the week. It's that simple.

Moving on, there were some nuggets of news this weekend worth highlighting regarding our Miami Dolphins.

Soliai training hard, in "football shape"

Without question, one of the major reasons Miami's defense finished ranked 6th in the league a year ago was the play of Paul Soliai. Soliai's unexpected rise from bubble player to key cog in the Dolphins' 3-4 defense cemented Miami's defensive line. After the season, the big Samoan was rewarded financially for his dominance in 2010 by being slapped with the team's franchise tag - meaning Soliai will play the 2011 season on a one year deal worth over $12 million guaranteed.

Giving that kind of money to a player who has had just one good season is always a risky proposition. But from what Soliai said during his radio interview on WQAM, Paul is taking his responsibilities as the defense's highest paid player seriously.

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HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!!

Today our great nation turns 235 years old. You have to admit she looks pretty good for her age despite the numerous issues facing the country right now.

So enjoy the holiday, the final day of a long holiday weekend. And let's hope that tomorrow is the beginning of what becomes the defining week of the NFL lockout, with representatives for the players and owners prepared to meet all four days with the pressure mounting to at least reach an agreement in principle.

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Let's be honest here. News is slow. We're all frustrated with the ridiculousness known as the NFL lockout. Now those of us who are also fans of the NBA get to suffer even more as their lockout gets underway. Of course, the outcry over an NBA lockout won't even come close to that of the NFL lockout (because we all know football is king). But it's just the proverbial cherry on top of the sh*t sundae that sports fans have been served over the past few months.

Luckily we get to enjoy a long holiday weekend. So I'm going to keep this week's "five" brief:

1. As predicted, talks are going backwards. I never bought into that optimistic rhetoric we were being fed a couple of weeks ago. I also don't buy into the suddenly pessimistic rhetoric we're being fed now. But the bottom line is obvious - as this lockout drags on, the start of training camp isn't the only thing in serious jeopardy right now. I'm starting to seriously wonder about the start of the preseason. Now we still have a little while to go before we have to panic. But as I like to say, it's getting late very quick.

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Remember When: A look back at Miami Dolphins history through the eyes of The Phinsider

I can't think of one single move made by the Miami Dolphins over the past couple of decades that resulted in the kind of 180 that the Chad Pennington acquisition generated back in 2008. Never was a signing as fascinating as this one in terms of getting inside the heads of one team's fan base.

We're talking about a guy in Pennington that was disliked by pretty much every Dolphins fan, having spent his first eight seasons as a member of the Jets and winning seven of his nine career starts against Miami - completing 62% of his passes and putting up an 11:2 touchdown to interception ratio. Many Dolphins fans, including myself, would even mock his weak arm and pick on Chad's tendency to get injured.

That's why it was no surprise that 55% of Dolphins fans who voted in our initial poll were against the idea of Pennington coming down to Miami after the Jets released him. I wasn't necessarily "for" or "against" the idea of bringing Pennington in. But I was definitely leaning more towards being against the possible move.

However, once the Dolphins did sign Pennington, 51% of those who voted were suddenly in favor of the move while 10% didn't care one way or the other. My initial reaction, though, centered on the $11.5 million that Pennington was signed for. "My personal opinion is that this was way too much money to give Pennington," I wrote that day.

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With news essentially slowing to a snail's pace as we continue to wait for a resolution to the lockout, I figured I might as well piggyback on yesterday's discussion regarding Channing Crowder. Reading through the comments, it seems many fans are critical of Crowder's production on the field - which is a far cry from "hating" the man, which is what Channing sees criticism as.

I, for one, remain very critical of his play on the field. But off the field, I think he's a riot. The man cracks me up. I definitely don't "hate" him - a term thrown around far too much these days. But I have reached a point, as I said yesterday, where I do often wonder if Crowder is worth the $2.5 million salary he's due in 2011 - the final year of his contract, by the way.

So I figured it's time to solicit some opinions on Crowder as it directly relates to the Miami Dolphins.

Channing Crowder, Inside Linebacker

Why the Dolphins should keep him

Like him or not, there's no doubt that Channing's teammates like and respect him. Crowder is viewed as a leader inside that locker room who always has his teammates' backs. He's also earned head coach Tony Sparano's respect, which is more important than many might believe. If Sparano has a message he wants to "leak" out or if Sparano needs a gauge of how the locker room feels at a point in time about their head coach, Tony can go to Crowder.

On the field, Channing is what he is - a run-stuffing inside 'backer. Contrary to popular opinion, he's smart and can diagnose plays on the field in real time. And prior to 2010, there was a very noticeable drop-off in the defense's ability to stop the run when Crowder had to miss time due to injury.

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Ever since Brandon Marshall was stabbed by his wife in their home back in April, he's seemingly has fallen off of the face of the earth. Well, except for when the police were again called to his home when Brandon's wife violated the restraining order and was arrested for a second time.

Since the stabbing, Marshall's Twitter feed has gone silent and his uStream channel has gone offline for good. But this evening, Omar Kelly received some info on the Miami Dolphins' "alpha receiver" from his trainer at FitSpeed, Inc - where Marshall has been training very hard this offseason despite all the turmoil (and the knife in his gut).

Marshall's top priority entering this offseason was to regain his 2006 Scouting Combine 4.4 speed. Apparently, Marshall has achieved that goal. According to Brandon's trainer, Marshall is "consistently running a sub 4.5 40 time." Even more impressive, Marshall is now maxing out at 22.5 mph on the high-speed treadmill - which is three miles per hour faster than his max in 2006 on a treadmill during his Combine training.

For proof, Marshall's trainer passed along this video to Omar of Brandon running on the high-speed treadmill - which you can view right here.

Perhaps more importantly is the little note passed along that Marshall "is in good spirits," which is more than you'd be able to say about me just two months after being stabbed by a loved one. Now we just need Marshall to get involved with those practices being organized by Chad Henne and Jake Long.

Thank goodness for Channing Crowder.

That was my initial reaction yesterday while I listened to a portion of his new weekly two hour radio show that debuted on Sunday on WQAM. The reason for my reaction is obvious and rather self-centered. As we continue to wait out this lockout, good ol' Mr. Crowder gave us some discussion-worthy material.

Highlighting that material is Channing's insistence that people "hate" him - which he sees as a good thing.

"I know people hate me," declared Crowder." When people hate on you you’ve got to be doing something right."

I'm not sure what exactly Channing is referring to, though. The fact that I can pinpoint exactly what hatred he's referencing actually says a lot about the individual. Is he referring to any "hate" he receives for some of the outlandish comments he makes off the field? Or is he referring to the "hate" he receives from fans regarding his play on the field?

If it's the former, then there's nothing to see here. We could just chalk this quote up as Channing being Channing and move on. But if he is referring to the criticism that many Miami Dolphins fans have thrown his way for his play, then I think we have something to talk about.

We're all aware of Crowder's short-comings on the field. The man just isn't a play-maker at all. After six years as a starting linebacker for the Dolphins, Crowder has accumulated just 2.5 sacks, 15 tackles for loss, 3 forced fumbles, and 1 interception. Consider this fact. Karlos Dansby, in one season as a Dolphin, has accumulated more sacks and over a third of the tackles for loss that Crowder has accumulated in his entire career. So if fans criticizing his ability on the field to make plays is considered by Channing as "hate," then yes - people do "hate" you, Channing.

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I hate to be the "wet blanket" time and time again. But I've been saying for a couple weeks now since all of these positive reports started coming out claiming an agreement between he players and owners was fast approaching that it wasn't going to happen as quickly as some were thinking or hoping for. I had originally been thinking a June 30 or July 1 date as the day it gets agreed to in principle. Now I'm thinking more along the lines of July 11 or so.

Needless to say, it's getting late quick and both sides have got to get a move on it. How about having all of the key people involved lock themselves in a room and come out only when a deal is done?

With that said, let's move on to this week's "five."

1. Don't expect a new starting quarterback in Miami. Well, at least not by week one. Let's just come to terms with that and hope for the best with Chad Henne under center. At this point, all signs point to Henne remaining the starting quarterback of the Miami Dolphins to begin the season. Things could easily change a few weeks into the season, of course. But right now, all the evidence favors Henne keeping the job to start the season.

Tony Sparano said as much during their annual charity event. Tony was reportedly asked if there's a "good chance" Henne would be the starting quarterback. According to the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson, "Sparano immediately said yes — a contrast to the 'we’ll see' response he often gives to what-might-happen queries."

Chris Mortensen also speculates that Henne will be the starting quarterback. During his interview on AM 790, Mortensen was asked what the chances were of Henne starting. "I'd say 80 percent, 90 percent chance," Mortensen responded. "Maybe that's low."

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A small buzz was generated amongst Miami Dolphins fans yesterday after ESPN analyst Chris Mortensen said on The Ticket 790 AM that Carson Palmer would love to play in Miami - among other things. Unfortunately, people are taking what Mortensen said out of context a bit. So before I get to the meat of this post, allow me to clarify.

Mortensen was asked what the chances were of a few possible quarterbacks ending up in Miami. When he was asked about Carson Palmer, Mortensen simply responded, "Carson would love it. I think it's a long shot" - not exactly a ground-breaking response.

Mortensen didn't say that Palmer wants to play for the Dolphins specifically. And it wasn't said in a way to make it seem like Mortensen had inside information. He just stated the obvious, folks. Palmer wants to leave Cincinnati so bad the man is willing to retire and lose out on millions and millions of dollars. Of course he'd love it if he got traded to Miami. He'd love to get traded pretty much anywhere.

Talk of Palmer, of course, is fruitless for now anyways. Unfortunately, Bengals owner Mike Brown has said repeatedly that he will not trade Carson under any circumstances. And that man is both stupid enough and stubborn enough to follow through with that statement.

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We might finally be getting somewhere after all.

That seemed to be the prevailing feeling from various sources around the league as the owners wrapped up a meeting in Illinois on Tuesday - a meeting that could have lasted a day longer than it did if that was necessary. However it appears as though there is "no significant dissent" from any of the league's owners regarding the direction that CBA negotiations are taking - meaning the owners did not stick around for a second day of meetings.

So just how quickly can a "new league year" begin? A report from Jason Cole says that the NFL could be back in business by July 15, if not sooner. A source on the owners' side told Cole, "That kind of timeline is altogether possible."

Cole also notes the body language of some of thee owners today as a positive sign. Writes Cole:

Furthermore, the wide grin on New York Giants owner John Mara’s face was a pretty good tell about the state of the talks. In recent months, Mara’s face has been etched with a dour look, such as in March when talks between the owners and the players broke down, and the CBA expired.

That same source on the owners' side even said the terms of a new CBA could be completed by the end of the week.

"At this point, you could probably have the terms drawn up by Friday if you wanted to really hurry the process, but two weeks is probably more realistic," said the source. "Two weeks for the paperwork is pretty reasonable."

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Remember When: A look back at Miami Dolphins history through the eyes of The Phinsider

After the disaster that was the 2007 season, change was in the air. Gone were the men who orchestrated that disastrous season. And in was the man who was meant to turn this franchise around. No, Bill Parcells doesn't create championship football teams. But he's an expert at major reclamation projects. Nobody can turn a crappy team into an above average team quite like Bill.

From the moment he was hired in late December of 2007, the rumors began swirling about who Bill would tab as the next head coach of the Miami Dolphins. We all knew Cam Cameron was going to receive his walking papers. We all assumed Randy Mueller would go with him. After all, it wouldn't have made sense to bring in Parcells and not let him hand-pick his general manager and head coach.

Once Jeff Ireland was hired just after New Year's Day, the rumors really heated up regarding Cowboys assistant coach Tony Sparano. In fact, I even posted a nugget that I received from two trusted sources that claimed Sparano and the Dolphins already had a verbal agreement in place. But because of the number of rules that would have been broken by the Dolphins if this was the case, we'll never know for sure publicly if there was a "verbal" deal already in place.

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Despite little "puff pieces" being written about Chad Henne in the local papers about how he's becoming the "alpha dog" this offseason, we all know that the Miami Dolphins are going to bring in a veteran quarterback to compete for the starting job. That's just a fact.

"The one thing we’ve had time to do is a lot of homework and study," Sparano said during the annual Fins Weekend charity event. "And I would tell you when you put Chad’s numbers up against some of the better quarterbacks in our league, his numbers are pretty impressive. They hold up. Now what has to happen? We have to cut down the impulse throws, the interceptions that happen late in the fourth quarter."

We all know the major issues with Henne outside of the interceptions. His overall performance in the fourth quarter of games was well below average last year. His deep ball accuracy must improve. And he needs to produce in the red zone. ESPN analyst KC Joyner, though, did share this interesting stat with the Miami Herald. Henne's completion success rate (which includes things like defensive penalties resulting in positive yardage for the offense) on passes thrown between 10 and 19 yards was the best in the NFL.

What does that mean in the grand scheme of things? I don't know. But it gives us hope.

Now let's move onto the guys who the Dolphins will be considering to bring in as competition for Henne once this lockout ends - both via free agency or via a trade. But first, let me mention that Caron Palmer will not be listed below. Make no mistake about it - he's the front office's top choice. I firmly believe that to be the case. But the Bengals are not going to trade him. So there's no point in even mentioning Palmer...for now.

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The top story this week was, again, the NFL lockout - or rather, the progress that was made towards ending the lockout with a new CBA. But I would like to point out that my "pessimism" - as some have called it - has proven to be warranted.

I wrote on Thursday morning (actually Wednesday night, but was published the next morning) that having some in-depth knowledge of all that goes into collective bargaining agreements in professional sports (I guess college was good for something) lent me to believe that this deal would not be coming as quickly as some might have been thinking. Lo and behold, it turns out that while the sides are closer than ever, a new CBA is not going to be struck in a matter of days. With that said, I will stand by my July 4th holiday weekend prediction.

And to all who lambasted me for criticizing Bill Burt's ridiculous claims that a deal was "almost complete" last Thursday evening and players and coaches were contacted about returning to work as soon as last weekend or early this past week, I only have one thing to say - bad journalism. That's what Burt's report was an example of. Unfortunately, people quickly forget when you get a huge story like that wrong (for some reason), meaning Burt will never be held accountable in any meaningful way for reporting something that was clearly inaccurate.

Anyway, let's get onto this week's "five."

1. The league's top left tackle plays in South Florida. As if we needed any confirmation, Miami Dolphins stud left tackle Jake Long has been voted the league's best and will be featured on Sunday night's Top 100 Players of 2011 on NFL Network. And unlike a poll of NFL writers on ESPN.com that placed Long second in the league among left tackles, the rankings that the NFL Network has put together actually has meaning. Why? Because it was voted on by NFL players. And his peers have ranked Long as the top offensive lineman in the sport.

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Earlier this week, we had over 2,700 people vote in our Brandon Marshall "Keep or Cut" poll - the most we've had to date. Surprisingly, almost 500 people (16%) voted to cut the team's top offensive play-maker.

Today we focus on a player that isn't as high profile as Marshall but that is quietly a Miami Dolphins fan favorite.

Lousaka Polite, Fullback

Why the Dolphins should keep him

What Lousaka brings to this offense is pretty obvious - he's a short yardage monster. And if you weren't aware of just how dominant he's been, consider these eye-popping numbers.

In 2010, Polite carried the ball 15 times on 3rd or 4th and one yard to go, converting 14 of those carries into first downs. His 3rd and one conversion percentage of 92.3% (12 for 13) led all NFL running backs in those situations. For the record, five of those 14 converted first downs kept alive drives that eventually resulted in touchdowns.

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"It's going to be very difficult for this to get screwed up."

That was the quote of the day yesterday attributed to a "source with intimate knowledge" of the labor negotiations between the players and owners. CBS Sports' Mike Freeman also tells us that this source says a new CBA is 80 to 85 percent complete - with an agreement possibly coming "within a matter of days."

Of course, all of this almost feels too good to be true. I think everybody might be getting carried away a bit here as reports continue to surface of a new labor deal nearing. For now, I'm going to stick to my Fourth of July weekend prediction. Having some knowledge of what goes into these professional sports collective bargaining agreements, I'm just not ready to believe a new deal will be completed in a few days.

Regardless of how quickly a deal is reached, the fact is a deal will indeed get reached. That means NFL free agency is on the horizon - finally. So it's time to start preparing for free agency by talking a little bit about some of the options the Miami Dolphins will have to fill in the remaining holes on their roster.

Off the top of my head, three positions will have to be addressed: quarterback, running back, and outside linebacker. We'll start our free agency preview with a look at the running back position.

It's worth noting, of course, that we don't know what the plan will be for free agents with only five or six accrued seasons. Historically, you only needed four years of service to be unrestricted free agents. In 2010, though, the "final league year" rules kicked in and players with five or six years of service were restricted free agents. It's unknown how the eventual CBA might handle this situation.

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Remember When: A look back at Miami Dolphins history through the eyes of The Phinsider

2007. It was a year that saw an entire season become nothing more than a prayer for one single victory.

As if I need to remind any Dolphins fan, the team sat at 0-13 heading into a December 13 game at home against the Ravens. And it seemed like that elusive win would never come. After all, this team had come close a couple of times prior to that mid December afternoon. Six of the team's 13 losses prior to the game against Baltimore had been by three points.

But rather than supply us with hope that this team was close, many fans - myself included - saw this as a possible sign that a win in '07 just wasn't meant to be. It's easy now to forget that feeling of hopelessness that surrounded this team that year after all of those three point losses. It's easy to forget that there was a very good chance the Dolphins would become the NFL's first 0-16 team.

The Ravens brought a 4-9 record into the game. And if the Dolphins didn't pull off the upset on that particular Sunday, there wasn't much hope to follow with games against the unbeaten Patriots and the talented Bengals looming to close out the season. As those final two games confirmed, the Dolphins did indeed have no chance of beating either. Heading into the game against Baltimore, we all pretty much knew this. We knew that this game was really the final chance to avoid making the worst kind of NFL history.

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