Jason Cole at the Bleacher Report is reporting that there is mutual interest between the Dolphins and offensive guard Geoff Schwartz.

Schwartz was in the third year of a four-year, $16.8 million contract when he was released in a cap-related move by the Giants. Schwartz started 11 games for the Giants in 2015 before sustaining a broken leg against the Redskins in November. He finished the year on injured reserve.

The Dolphins could certainly use the help along the offensive line with center Mike Pouncey and left tackle Branden Albert being the heart of the group but with better starters needed otherwise, particularly at guard where Dallas Thomas and Billy Turner left a lot to be desired in 2016.

Schwartz is a veteran seven year starter who will come at a reasonable price and who, at 29 years old, is just young enough to provide a few solid years to stabilize the position if things work out.

The more likely scenario is that if Schwartz is signed, he'd displace Billy Turner as the starter at right guard as he recently answered a question on Twitter regarding which side he would prefer to play on.

This could work out well, as Billy Turner has stated in the past that he prefers to play on the left side of the offensive line, and the coaching staff decided to move him to the right for unknown reasons. The opportunity to play on the left side could make Turner a good guard, and with Schwartz on the right, it could potentially - and finally - fix the Dolphins o-line woes.

This story was written by Tom Shannon. Follow him on Twitter: @bearingthenews

Here we are again. Another Miami Dolphins offseason following a disappointing regular season with a new General Manager and a new coaching staff leading the team. One of the areas that remains the same is the fact that our quarterback is still Ryan Tannehill.

The debate regarding Tannehill's ability to achieve consistent success continues to rage on. I, however, have come to the conclusion that Ryan Tannehill is not the answer for the Miami Dolphins, and I believe that the Fins will be looking for a new quarterback by the end of the 2016 season. 
 
First, know that I am an optimist by nature. Being a loyal Dolphins fan for over thirty years and a season ticket holder for over five years illustrates my optimistic tendencies. Every year, I, like many Dolphins fans, believe that the Fins will make it to the postseason, regardless of the team player skills or lack thereof. It’s either the new free agent signings, the draft picks, or the media hype that leads to my confidence.

​But, as we have all seen, the Miami Dolphins team record never traditionally matches the preseason excitement, with the exclusion of the Wildcat year and the glory days. Knowing I am such an optimist makes it hard to believe that I am no longer a Ryan Tannehill believer. 
 
Speaking to Dolphins fans during the 2015 season and after the end of the season, many fans and media members disagree. They provide multiple excuses as to why Tannehill has had challenges becoming the “elite” quarterback. Whether it be the lack of talent around him or the coaches coaching him, Tannehill has always been given a free pass.

Every season it seems as though a new excuse pops up, but the accountability is never given to arguably the most important position on the team, the quarterback.   Here is a quick look at each year that Tannehill has been quarterbacking, and the “reasons” for his lack of success.

​Tannehill came into Dolphins Training camp having only a handful of games under his belt in college, but he won the starting job over Matt Moore and an injured David Garrard. The season started with the new coach, Joe Philbin, making sweeping team changes, which included the departure of Brandon Marshall, who could have been a valuable target for young Tannehill.

However, with that said, Tannehill still had targets like Brian Hartline, Reggie Bush, Davone Bess, Charles Clay, and Anthony Fasano to throw to.  With this receiving corps, Tannehill’s athleticism, and only 37 sacks allowed during the season, Tannehill could have had a much better season.

​But, he supposedly had no weapons, which was untrue. Tannehill ended the year with 3,294 passing yards on 282 out of 484 passes with 12 TDs and 13 INTs. The Miami Dolphins ended the season at 7-9.

​In the NFL, the sophomore year is supposedly the year that quarterbacks either make significant steps forward, or they take steps back. Ryan Tannehill took big steps forward, even though his offensive line found Tannehill on his rear end more than on his feet. 

His stat line improved to 3,913 yards passing on 355 out of 588 passes with 24 TDs and 17 INTs, but the offensive line allowed an astounding 58 sacks. The team set records for having three receiving team members finishing the year with 65 catches or more, and Tannehill had five 300-yard passing games during that season, which was the most for a Dolphins quarterback since Dan Marino. 

The Dolphins ended the season 8-8 and there was reason for optimism, although team chemistry with Mike Wallace, Brandon Gibson, and Rishard Matthews, and the offensive line's ineptitude were some of the factors that caused the Dolphins to miss the playoffs for the 5th consecutive season. 

Even with Ryan’s solid stat line, he could not consistently connect on the long ball, and his inability to fully manage a game and audible out of blitz packages was noticeable. And yes, the sacks were an issue, however, many sacks were created during this season due to Tannehill’s inability to get the ball out of his hands quickly enough.

The Dolphins were primed for a playoff run in 2014. They brought in talented offseason additions on offense with WR Jarvis Landry through the draft and LT Branden Albert through free agency to help on the offensive line. Ryan Tannehill had his best year as an NFL starter with 4,045 yards, 27 touchdowns, 12 INTs, a 92.8 passer rating, and a 66.4% completion percentage, which was the second best ever for a Miami Dolphins quarterback. 

Early in the season, Tannehill’s inconsistencies led to Coach Philbin contemplating benching him for Matt Moore.  However, Tannehill bounced back to have some solid games during the middle of the season. The last four games of the year, when the Dolphins needed a few pivotal wins, both a lack of Tannehill’s offensive struggles, and the defenses ineffectiveness, which was affected by multiple injuries, prevented the Dolphins from making the playoffs for the sixth consecutive year.

The Dolphins ended the season with an 8-8 record. Although many would say that the Dolphins defense was the main culprit for the end of year collapse, you also have to review Ryan Tannehill’s play during that four game stretch, when he couldn’t perform at a high enough level to compensate for the defenses deficiencies.  

A top tier quarterback can traditionally compensate for poor defensive play (Drew Brees, Tony Romo) by scoring more points than the defense gives up. Tannehill did not.

During the offseason leading up to the 2015 season, Ryan Tannehill got paid on a 6-year, $97 million contract with $45 million guaranteed, which was a $16 million per year payout. This was around the same annual payout as Andy Dalton ($16 million), and higher annual payouts than Philip Rivers ($15.3 million) and Tom Brady ($11.4 million). That’s a lot of money for a quarterback who had not yet taken his team to the postseason. 

The 2015 season began with the highest level of optimism that the fans had seen in years. With the signing of Greg Jennings, Ndamukong Suh, the acquisition of Kenny Stills and the drafting of DeVante Parker, again, the Dolphins had the right components to make it to the playoffs. 

Then, the season started.  After 16 games, and the team letting go of much of their coaching staff, the Dolphins ended the year with a disappointing 6-10 record. Although Tannehill’s statistics were impressive with 4,208 passing yards, 24 TDs and 12 interceptions, he picked up some extra yards during garbage times which helped to improve his stats. 

Visibly, Tannehill regressed from some of the successes in prior years, although his statistics did not reflect it. His long ball accuracy continued to be limited, his decision making was being questioned more this year than in other years, and his mobility seemed to be reduced from prior years. Greg Jennings stated that Tannehill was being babied by the coaches.

Why would a quarterback need to be babied, unless they felt that he needed that type of coaching? In addition, a report surfaced that many of the coaches did not trust Tannehill to audible from the line of scrimmage. How can you be a quarterback in the NFL and not be trusted to do an essential job as a quarterback?

Many fans said that Tannehill’s regression was due to the coaching changes, however, coaches can’t control how long a quarterback sits in the pocket or which receiver Tannehill selects to throw to.
 
Overall, the Miami Dolphins could have been much worse at quarterback these past four years. Besides the consistency of having Ryan Tannehill as the quarterback, the consistency that Tannehill has shown is his ability to be inconsistent.  The ultimate question is if Ryan Tannehill can take the next step in 2016. 

He has now started 64 games and he has racked up an overall record of 29-35. It is time for excuses to stop being made for a player who is getting paid as a top tier quarterback and time for him to be a true leader on the field. Unfortunately, in my opinion, I believe that we have already seen the best of Ryan Tannehill, and the Miami Dolphins coaching staff will soon realize the same thing. 
 
For the sake of all of the Miami Dolphins fans, I hope I am wrong. I hope we can all look back at this article at the end of the 2016 season and say “this guy is crazy” and laugh. I hope that we see a true elite quarterback take control of the game, and take the Miami Dolphins to the promise land. We’ll find out soon.

This column was written by Ian Berger. Follow him on Twitter: @ian693

Have you ever played the game Two Truths and a Lie? It’s an icebreaker that has a person tell two truths about their life and one lie and the other person has to figure out which one is the lie?

When I heard all the buzz about Adam Gase and when I actually watched the game film I felt that the media was playing two truths and a lie about Gase. The media said he was an innovator, an offensive genius, and made quarterback Jay Cutler improve his play.
               
So guess which one is the lie. Maybe lie is a strong word but after watching three games from the Bears last year, I would hardly say that Gase was an innovator of offense. In fact I would say I saw more original plays from Bill Lazor than I saw from Gase. I watched three games and saw no original plays from Gase.

Now that being said, after watching Gase’s offense I will say that he is a true offensive genius, or at the very least he has an immense knowledge about offense. He also does customize game plans to attack teams in a specific way. It is also obvious that Cutler was playing a lot more efficiently when Gase was calling plays. I believe that Gase did a really good job of protecting Cutler, and calling plays that Cutler could execute.
               
I have to come clean, I was not a huge fan of the Miami Dolphins hiring Gase. I thought he was getting hired because he worked with Peyton Manning, and if that was the case then we should have at least interviewed Papa John. But after watching Gase having to deal with the injuries on the Bears offense last year, I have to give him a ton of respect. He also has shown to be able to game plan really well.

Below is my film review of what Gase did with his plays, so bear with me (no pun intended) as we go through these plays. Here is the legend for your reference.

AJ - Alshon Jeffery 
MF - Matt Forte
MB - Martellus Bennett 
MW - Marquess Wilson
ZM - Zach Miller
JL - Jeremy Langford 
ER - Eddie Royal 
KL - Khari Lee
KC - Ka'Deem Carey
JB - Josh Bellemy
OT - Extra Offensive Linemen
MM - Marc Mariani 
CM - Cameron Meredith

Even back in his playing days, Jason Taylor always seemed to have his finger on the pulse of the South Florida community, and now that he's retired, he's been able to devote even more time to trying to make a difference in the lives of those who could use a helping hand or two.

The Jason Taylor Foundation put together yet another fantastic event, this one based around the golf course as they hosted their 13th annual Celebrity Golf Classic, starting with a kickoff dinner and auction with over 350 people at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino at Kuro, the resort's latest culinary innovation.

​​"Thirteen years of doing this is a lot," said Jason Taylor, who won the NFL's Man of the Year Award back in 2007. "It's really a lot for people like the Seminole Tribe, the Hard Rock, all these sponsors that year after year we come back to them, pounding on the door for big checks, and they keep stepping up and doing it."

The Holtz Children Hospital received a check for $50,000, and the Take Stock in Children Organization received a check for $33,000, and the rest of the night continued on with attendees and celebrities mingling and having a wonderful time.

Some rare appearances were made by several professional athletes, including Hall of Famer Jim Kelly. There were also former teammates of Taylor, such as former Dolphins kicker Olindo Mare and running back Ronnie Brown, who ranks third in Dolphins franchise history in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.

"It's always good," Brown said. "Jason and the Jason Taylor Foundation, they do a lot in the community. They give back, they're involved in a lot of changes in kid's lives for the better, so it feels good to be a part of that."

Even an old teammate from Taylor's short time with the New York Jets made an appearance, as former Jets linebacker and current CBS NFL analyst Bart Scott came to support the event.

Ever since he played with the Jets a long, long time ago, he gave me an invite and I've been a mainstay. I think I missed one year because of surgery. But other than that, it's a great event, it's a great cause, he's a class act. He's the type of guy that I think the NFL should put more on a pedestal and uplift. What he did as a player but also what he's doing post-career, instill his commitment to the community and to the kids which he supports."

Early the next morning, the event continued at the Grande Oaks Golf Club in Davie, Florida, where the celebrities, which now included former Miami Heat star center Alonzo Mourning and NFL centers Mike and Maurkice Pouncey, paired up with attendees and teed up for a round of golf that was sure to be remembered for a very long time.

At the end of the event, over $125,000 total was raised for the Jason Taylor Foundation thanks to this event, and that money will be going back out to impact kids all across South Florida.

You don't get to be a man of the year without having a heart for the community, and it's abundantly clear that Jason Taylor's love for South Florida and its residents hasn't faded in the slightest, as kids have benefited from his philanthropy for years, and future generations will no doubt be thanking him for many years to come.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

​The NFL combine is more than just a time for college prospects to try and show off their skills and run as fast as they can for forty yards, it's also the time where teams try to gauge other teams' interest in their players, and that means a lot of offseason smoke is going to fill the air.

One of the more notable reports coming out of Indianapolis, courtesy of Jordan Raanan of NJ.com, is the idea that the Miami Dolphins may attempt to place the franchise tag on defensive end Olivier Vernon, and then trade him to another team soon after.

Vernon, 25, would be given a 1-year deal worth $15.4 million fully guaranteed if he were to get the franchise tag, and it's somewhere around that amount Vernon would want to be paid annually on a long-term deal, making the Dolphins leverage for a deal of this kind very weak, as front offices would likely be unwilling to give up too much.

In his four seasons with the Dolphins, Vernon has racked up 29 sacks over 64 career games, and has been credited with many more QB pressures over that time, making Vernon a very coveted free agent this offseason. Some analysts even have him as a top 10 free agent overall.

Dolphins Vice President of Football Operations Mike Tannenbaum recently spoke about the situation regarding the starting defensive end, although the actual content of his comments didn't exactly give much clarification on what Miami's plan is.

"We have options and so does he," Tannenbaum said. "We haven't made any decisions. We have a deadline coming up in another handful of days. We haven't made any decisions. We're just looking at options."

Options may seem to be plentiful at first glance, but closer inspection indicates that the Dolphins really don't have that many options to work with.

They can let Vernon hit free agency, where he will likely go to a team with loads of cap space like the Jacksonville Jaguars or the Oakland Raiders, which both have over $70 million in cap space and could easily give Vernon an offer he couldn't refuse if they so desired.

They could tag Vernon and keep him for one more year at that $15.4 million price tag, but with the Dolphins current cap problems, that would severely handicap their ability to make moves this offseason with Ndamukong Suh and Ryan Tannehill taking up large chunks of their cap space already.

Or they could sign Vernon to a long-term deal. This again creates a problem with cap space, as Vernon and his agent are likely to demand an annual salary close to what the franchise tag would give him, putting him in the same price range as the likes of Mario Williams and J.J. Watt, who are both far superior players to Vernon.

The sign-and-trade approach is very unlikely unless Miami is willing to take a late-round pick as compensation, and if Miami lets him go, it's possible the Dolphins could receive a mid-round compensatory draft pick for the 2017 draft, but only if they don't try to spend big and make a huge splash in free agency.

Most people are trying to say that Miami has lots of options, but the reality is that there really aren't. If Miami wants to keep Vernon, they'll have to let go of a lot of talented players currently on the roster and forfeit 2016, or restructure Ndamukong Suh's contract and make things very difficult in later years.

Either way, keeping Vernon will be problematic unless a miracle takes place and Vernon and his agent decide to take that rare "hometown discount."

Somehow, that scenario seems unlikely.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

The search for the next Cameron Wake continues. According to a report by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Miami Dolphins have agreed to terms on a three-year entry level contract with former Canadian Football League defensive lineman Cleyon Laing.

Laing, who played collegiately at Iowa State, is an Edmonton native, and played the past three seasons with the Toronto Argonauts, and last season recorded 41 tackles, 9 sacks and two forced fumbles. He totaled 71 tackles and 15 sacks in 35 games with Toronto. 

Laing reportedly had offers from five other NFL teams, including the New York Jets and New England Patriots, but chose the Dolphins because of the opportunity to play alongside and learn from Ndamukong Suh and former CFL player Cameron Wake. The Dolphins have been in contract talks with Wake about lowering his salary cap hit for 2016, and if the Dolphins are able to retain Wake, he'll provide valuable insight for Laing, not only with technique, but in adjusting from the CFL to NFL.

Laing, 6'-3" and 280 pounds, may not be at Wake's level, but would provide depth along the defensive line. But fans can't help but speculate that perhaps the Dolphins will unearth yet another gem from the frozen tundra of the Canadian league. 

This story was written by Eldon Jenson. Follow him on Twitter @EJFootball.

Defense wins championships. It's a cliche as old as time itself, but is it a true one? There are those out there who could put together very valid arguments indicating the exact opposite scenario, that it's actually offense that wins championships, and the defense only needs to be competent for the team to be championship caliber.

​In today's NFL, one would think that the latter is true, that the best defense is a strong offense. With all the emphasis put on quarterbacks and passing the ball, and with the NFL making strides to protect QBs and offensive players at every turn, it's only logical to assume that if you have a super-powered offense, then the rest will take care of itself.

But I wasn't satisfied with this basic assumption, so I decided to go back and take a look at some past Super Bowl winning teams and see what gave them their success.

And by some, I mean all.

I went back in time and checked out the overall defensive and offensive stats of teams dating all the way back to 1966, when the era of the Super Bowl first began, and what I found is actually pretty telling. If you're ready, I'm going to rattle off some very simple rankings, so stay with me folks.

Starting at the very top, I wanted to see how many teams since 1966 won the Super Bowl with a top 10 defense, and a top 10 offense. There have been 50 total Super Bowls since then, and of those games, 43 teams who won had a top 10 defense, while 42 had a top 10 offense.

Seems pretty evenly matched, right? So I tightened things up a little and decided to see which teams wound up having a top 5 defense or offense. As it turns out, this is where things start getting more divided. Of the 50 teams who have won a Super Bowl since 1966, 31 of those teams have had a top 5 defense, and only 20 of them have had a top 5 offense.

That already gives a strong indication that it was the defense that led the way to a lot more Super Bowls than the offense, but because I'm a stickler for full disclosure, I decided to go in as tightly as I could and determine how many of these Super Bowl winning teams had the number one ranked defense or offense.

As it turns out, 16 of the teams who won the big championship game had the league's top ranked defense, while only 10 of them had the top ranked offense.

Naturally, these numbers don't mean too much when they're spewed out just like this, a lot of you folks are probably saying that I wasted my time going all the way back to 1966 since the game has evolved beyond what it once was since then. It's a quarterback-driven league now, how many of those top offenses have been in recent years?

That is an excellent question, so let's take a look.

Let's start at the year 2000, that's a decent place to start right? 16 Super Bowls have been played since then, and of those 16 winners, 10 of them have had a top 10 offense. Ok, now looking at the defense, it would appear that 11 of those 16 teams had a top defense. Again, pretty evenly matched.

So let's tighten things up again.

Of the 16 teams who have won a Super Bowl since the year 2000, only 4 of those teams have had a top 5 ranked offense. In contrast, 9 of them have had a top 5 ranked defense. Not nearly as even.

For completion's sake, let's see how many of those teams had the top ranked offense and defense. Since 2000, only one team has had the top ranked offense and won the Super Bowl, while 6 of them have had the number one ranked defense.

​By now you're probably wondering why I've spouted off all of these raw stats, especially since I've made it a point to say over and over again that stats without context don't really mean all that much, and when it comes to individual stats, I maintain that statement.

But these are team stats, meant to be centered around the performance of the entire team, not just one player. Not one quarterback, not one linebacker, the entire team as a whole. Just based on these very simple rankings, and based off of what we've seen in very recent history, it would seem that a powerful defense is the preferred way to both reach and win a Super Bowl.

So what's the moral of the story? That based off these rankings, defense does still win championships, and the Dolphins defense was miserable in 2015. Meanwhile, the two Super Bowl teams ranked 1st and 2nd in defense in the regular season...and it was the top-ranked defense - once again - that emerged victorious as the champions.

If Miami wants to compete for a Super Bowl again, they need to fix their defense, that should be the top priority this offseason. When the Dolphins were playing well in 2014, it was their defense that the team was leaning on, and for many games it was enough. After the Denver game, the defense disappeared and never returned. From that point on, the team as a whole was that much worse.

Scoring points is important, but if you can't stop the other team from scoring, then you're simply wasting time and energy as you'll just go back and forth until someone makes a grave mistake and doesn't score. Miami has pieces in place to fix the offense, but the talent level is far too low on defense. Fix that within the next couple of years, and the team just might make it to the playoffs again for the first time since 2008.

Offense may be the more impressive unit, and also incredibly important to a team's success, but in the end, it's appears to be the defense that comes out on top...just ask the 2015 top-ranked offense Carolina Panthers.

On this week's episode of PhinManiacs Live, we're joined by former Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder to discuss various topics, such as the Dolphins defense and Ryan Tannehill.

Then after the insight provided by Crowder, we'll go a little more into the draft and then discuss the NFL combine and what we can learn from it, if there's anything significant to learn from it at all.

All this and more on this week's episode of PhinManiacs Live.

You can listen to the replay below via our YouTube, or you can download it via our SoundCloud HERE.

It would seem that some of the Dolphins players are still in recovery mode. Pro Bowl center Mike Pouncey has recently stated on TheFinsiders - the Miami Dolphins officially radio show - that he underwent surgery for an undisclosed reason.

Pouncey did suffer a foot injury that kept him from playing the final two games of the 2015 season, but it is currently believed that the surgery has nothing to do with that injury. Whatever it was however, it was enough to prompt Pouncey to forego his trip to Hawaii as a Pro Bowl selection.

“It was so tough when I turned down the [invitation],” Pouncey told The Finsiders. “When I turned it down, none of my guys had made the Pro Bowl yet. It was a tough decision for me, but I'm glad I did it. It put me a month and a half ahead of my rehab [after] surgery. It's been going really well. I'm glad I turned it down, so I could be ready by the time OTAs get here. I'm feeling really good.”

It could be seen as a sign of maturity that Pouncey decided not to go to the Pro Bowl in favor of making sure he would be ready for 2016 ahead of schedule, but there is a cause for concern. Injuries have now caused him to miss games in two straight seasons. In the first four weeks of 2014, it was a hip injury that kept him out, and later moved him to guard as Samson Satele was entrenched as the center.

Pouncey stated back in December of last year that he wasn't concerned about the long-term effects of these injuries, and during his recent interview with TheFinsiders, Pouncey stated that he's already a month out of surgery.

The Dolphins Pro Bowl center was seen with his brother Maurkice on Monday at the Jason Taylor Foundation's annual Celebrity Golf Classic for charity, and he appeared to be moving fine. All that seems to be left is to get back to football strength. Hopefully, Pouncey will be 100% by the time OTAs come around, as was always intended.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

Saturday marked the ending of the Miami Dolphins sixth annual Dolphins Cancer Challenge, where over 3,300 bikers, runners, walkers and volunteers all came together for one purpose: to tackle cancer and raise money for research to find a better cure for this heartbreaking disease.

"The Dolphins Cancer Challenge is about everyone working together to fight cancer,” Miami Dolphins President & CEO and DCC VI Chair Tom Garfinkel said. “100 percent of participant fundraising goes directly to Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center for essential cancer research that changes lives."

The event began with a kickoff party Friday evening, where all the participants had their fill of food and got to interact with some of their favorite Miami Dolphins players before the real challenge began before dawn early Saturday morning.

Notable participants included Grand Marshals and Dolphins Executive Vice President of Football Operations Mike Tannenbaum and Head Coach Adam Gase, as well as Dolphins players and alumni such as Dan Marino, Nat Moore, Dick Anderson, A.J. Duhe, Kim Bokamper, Chris Conlin, John Offerdahl, Mark Duper, Michael Thomas and Ndamukong Suh.

While the final count hasn't yet been confirmed, as they'll be collecting money until March 31st, the amount of money raised through the DCC is known to be at least $11.5 million dollars, a staggering number that speaks to just how much of an impact this event has on not only the community of South Florida, but the entire country.

​"The first year we had about 300 participants, raised a little more than a half a million dollars," said Michael Mandich, the CEO of the Dolphins Cancer Challenge and son of Dolphins great Jim "Mad Dog" Mandich, who lost his battle against cancer back in 2011. "Fast forward to today, where we're embarking on our sixth DCC, now called the Dolphins Cancer Challenge, which has grown immensely in such a short period of time, raising over $11.5 million dollars for cancer research, becoming the largest fundraising event in the NFL and beyond."

Since 2010, the event has been steadily growing in size and success, bringing in Dolphins fans and bikers who originate from as far away as Ohio, and with a variety as wide as even having former Olympic medalists taking part in the cause.

​"We always like to give back to the community and arrive like this where it ties back to cancer," said former Olympic silver medalist Lauren Tamayo, who participated in the cycling portion on behalf of United Healthcare. "I personally don't have anybody close to me who has suffered from cancer, but I do have friends and family who of course - I think everybody has one step or connection to cancer and every story is a heartfelt story."

One such individual with a heartfelt story is Luis Navarro, who is an attorney and has been a part of DCC since its very inception. He now acts as a member of the DCC board of advisers.

"One of the things I take great pride in participating in the DCC was the first year I participated in DCC One, it was the year my father was diagnosed with lung cancer, and he passed." he said. "So the second year I decided to really get involved, because I saw firsthand what Sylvester does for families and how they help people who are being treated."

As the sole beneficiary of the funds raised by the DCC, Sylvester and University of Miami had over 800 participants taking part in it, and ever since the event's initial inception, the funds raised have been making a huge impact in cancer research at Sylvester.

"The funds from this ride and from years past have directly funded a new clinical trial that we have for patients whose cancers have recurred, and we're coming up with news ways to treat them both with surgery and therapy and other things," said Dr. Donald Weed, a Professor in Otolaryngology. "Without the money from the DCC, getting that trial started wouldn't have happened."

At the end of the ride, attendants were treated to a fair day with food, bounce houses, a petting zoo, and The Native Village Road Show came out and brought animals indigenous to the Everglades and other places for children to learn about, such as parrots, snakes and alligators.

As for the riders, they were treated to something special, as a massage tent was available for DCC participants to heal up their aching muscles after a long day of riding, running or walking for miles on end.

And to top it all off, for the first time in DCC history, a crowd of over 5,000 were treated to a performance by Grammy-Award winning artists Melissa Etheridge and Sheryl Crow, both of whom have defeated different forms of cancer that they personally suffered through themselves.

“It was an honor to play in front of thousands of cancer fighters today,” Sheryl Crow said. “The electric atmosphere at the stadium, surrounded by people all united for one cause – what an amazing day.”

But the Dolphins' battle against cancer isn't over just yet. The DCC will continue raising funds for cancer research with its inaugural DCC Celebrity Golf Tournament hosted by Turnberry Isle Resort & Golf Club on April 4, 2016, where cancer fighters will get a chance to golf and interact with athletes and other celebrity guests.

​In one way, shape or form, we have all been touched by cancer at some point in our lives. It's taken away loved ones, or the loved of our loved ones. For the Dolphins to build up an event that has grown to become what it is now speaks to the necessity to continue striving towards new ways to defeat this disease.

Michael Mandich stated that he would eventually like for the DCC to become one of the biggest fund-raising events in the entire country, and if it continues growing at this pace, it may surpass that goal in the very-near future. But for that to happen, it will take all of us to get involved and make that goal come to fruition.

And in turn, that could very well be the goal that will change the world as we know it.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

When news came out over the weekend that the Atlanta Falcons are poised to release defensive tackle Paul Soliai, Miami Dolphins Twitter picked right up on it, with many fans in favor of bringing the former Dolphin back into the fold.

Soliai, 33, is due to count $5 million against the Falcons salary cap this year. He played in a 4-3 defensive scheme with both Miami and Atlanta, but new head coach Dan Quinn uses a one-gap scheme, and Soliai saw his role significantly reduced last season after former head coach Mike Smith and defensive coordinator Mike Nolan departed. Soliai would appear to be a better fit in Miami’s scheme, led by newly-hired defensive coordinator Vance Joseph.

Although he could be cut anytime after the league year begins on March 9, the Falcons would create more salary cap room by designating Soliai as a post-June 1 cut, so it remains to be seen when he actually becomes available in the free agent market.

A former Utah Ute, Soliai was drafted by Miami in the fourth round of the 2007 NFL draft. He developed into a stalwart on the Dolphins defensive line, and was named to the Pro Bowl in 2011. He would add an immediate boost to a Dolphins defense that allowed 126.2 rushing yards per game and ranked 28th in the NFL.

The Dolphins wanted to re-sign Soliai in 2014 when his contract expired, but weren’t willing to match the 5-year, $32 million contract he was offered from Atlanta.

​Miami replaced Soliai with Earl Mitchell, who has been underwhelming in his time with the Dolphins. And according to the Miami Herald’s Armando Salguero, Soliai has expressed interest in returning to his former team.

And Dolphins fans would roll out the welcome mat for Big Paul!

This story was written by Eldon Jenson. Follow him on Twitter @EJFootball

It's been said for many years now that the Miami Dolphins have this apparent aversion to signing their own players, instead allowing them to go elsewhere when it comes to getting paid with their second contract.

However this year, it appears that the Dolphins are looking to try and bring back their impending free agents this time around. After the reports hearing that the team wants to try and bring back Lamar Miller and Olivier Vernon, it appears the Dolphins are also interested in re-signing Rishard Matthews as well, as first reported by the Miami Herald.

Assumptions have been made that there was no room for Matthews on the roster with Stills, Landry and DeVante Parker likely staying ahead of him on the depth chart. but it was abundantly clear over the course of the 2015 season that Matthews is a very talented player who had good chemistry with QB Ryan Tannehill.

But the biggest problem with Matthews - beyond the obvious implications of what he would command on the open market - is what his role would be with Miami. With the Dolphins, Matthews would have to share playing time with Parker, Stills and Landry, essentially making him the fourth wide receiver on the depth chart unless Parker fails to develop.

In 2015, Matthews had the best year of his career after finally getting a fair opportunity to show what he could do. He'd spent previous years upset over not getting to play, presumably because of former head coach Joe Philbin's unwillingness to let him see the field.

After finally getting a chance to play, Matthews caught 43 passes for 662 yards and four touchdowns, along with putting up a 15.4 yards-per-catch average that placed him 12th in the league among wide receivers with 40 or more catches. He was on pace to catch for at least 1,000 yards before he suffered his injury.

Matthews has shown that he has the skill to be a very good number two wide receiver in the NFL, and that could earn him a deal giving him an annual salary of about $5 million. The only question at this point is whether that money will come from Miami or not.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

As reported earlier this week, Miami Dolphins defensive end Cameron Wake is close to 100% healthy after missing the second half of the 2015 season with a torn Achilles tendon in his left leg. Coming off of that injury, coupled with Wake’s age (turned 34 on January 30) and imposing salary cap hit for the upcoming season, it comes as no surprise that the Dolphins are interested in restructuring Wake’s contract to free up money that the team can use elsewhere to fill many holes in their roster after a disappointing 6-10 season.

The team hopes to be able to come to an agreement with Wake before March 9, the first day of the 2016 offseason. Wake’s current salary for 2016 is $8.6 million, all of which would be wiped from the salary cap if the Dolphins were to cut him.

While there is no doubt the team will do their due diligence to try and keep Wake, restructuring his salary, possibly giving him a raise while spreading the salary cap hit over several years by making a portion of that salary a signing bonus, makes a lot of sense for the Dolphins. And the team is hopeful that Wake’s camp will see it the same way.

The Dolphins have also made it clear that Wake’s bookend at defensive end, Oliver Vernon, is a top priority this offseason. Vernon, who ended the 2015 season with a league-leading 64 QB pressures over the final ten games, could be given the Franchise tag, which would guarantee an approximately $15 million salary for 2016, all of which would count against the 2016 salary cap. The team would prefer to instead get a long-term deal done, spreading that cost across several years.

Thus the Dolphins front office is already in whirlwind mode this offseason, trying to find the most cost-effective ways to shave 2016 dollars off of contracts. This will serve dual purposes, freeing up enough money to allow the team to be players in the free agent market, as well as afford the rookie salaries from the upcoming draft.

Stay tuned, as the Wake and Vernon discussions are sure to heat up in the next few days.

​This story was written by Eldon Jenson. Follow him on Twitter @EJFootball.

When the Miami Dolphins hired Adam Gase as the 12th head coach to lead their franchise, most people around the NFL felt the team was getting one of the best up-and-coming minds in the business. But after years of abject disappointment, many fans are waiting until the lights come on for the regular season before deciding if they accept or reject Gase as the guy that could/would/should lead this team out of mediocrity.

But one player that has already formed an opinion on his new head coach is Ndamukong Suh, the defensive tackle who has already been in the news this offseason for his impending salary cap hit. And coming from one of the team’s best players and the guy that arguably has the best job security on the team, that’s saying something.

“I love Coach Gase," said Suh, alluding to how Gase has immersed himself in the team from day one, getting to know the players, and interacting with them as they work out this offseason.

“He was talking about my weight the other day,” added Suh. “And (he) said, “I see you’re at only 17 percent body fat. I thought you’d be better than that.” Things like that, him nagging, (but) at the same time having fun with it."

In spite of the team finishing 6-10, Suh finished last season with the second best numbers of his career, with 61 tackles, 6 sacks, and 5 batted passes. And he looks forward to improving on those numbers this year, with teammates that Suh feels are coming into their own.

"We had a lot of ups and downs," said Suh. "We had a lot of opportunity to learn from those things. There are some excellent players on this team. We have a ton of talent. We’re a super young team. That’s what I’m excited about.

“Now, we have to bring it together as a collective unit."

It will be up to Adam Gase and the coaching staff to bring things together. And while fans wait to make up their minds on whether to get behind Gase or not, Suh is already on board.

"In my short interactions with him, he’s a great coach. He’s very fiery and competitive.”

​This story was written by Eldon Jenson. Follow him on Twitter @EJFootball

Here you will find a full draft guide featuring a first-round mock draft, a ranking of prospects and much more, courtesy of Neal Driscoll. Scroll down the PDF and enjoy!

2015 turned out to be an up and down season for the Miami secondary.  We brought in a veteran corner in Brice McCain, who was intended to take over the duties of a slot cornerback. We also had a healthy Jamar Taylor who was going to take over as the cornerback opposite of All-Pro Brent Grimes.

Unfortunately, things don’t work out on the field like they do on paper. Brice McCain was repeatedly picked on and despite Miami having nobody to start at the #2 CB, Jamar Taylor still was not able to hold down that position. By the end of a long season Miami was playing rookies to develop basically because they had given up on the plan from the beginning of the season.  At safety, Reshad Jones was an all- world safety this season.  

Sadly, Louis Delmas was injured in camp this year. This spot was filled in by Walk Aikens and Michael Thomas, however, I think most people would agree the team missed Delmas on the field.

Chad’s Rank – This is just my personal rank on how I view this player when compared against all the other players in the league at the same position.  This is where I see them if the 2016 season started now.  Of course many players are developing and can improve during training camp and the season or conversely they could get hurt or show up in bad shape and drop down.

Elite -Better than 90% of the players in the league. 

Above average – Better than two thirds of the players in the league.

Average - Better than 1/3 of the players in the league

Below Average - Bottom 10% of players in the league.

Chance of return % - This is my probability ranking of the player being on the 2016 final 53 man squad.

Let's get started.
​

Chad’s Rank – Average

Chance of return: 100%

Summary: Tony developed throughout the season to the point where he went from a guy that was too raw to be on the field, to a guy I think that can now be counted on to be put on the field when needed. He has a high ceiling but has limited experience at the position.

He has a big learning curve to undertake yet. He did display his ability at the end of the year against New England when he was beat, but was able to use his speed to recover and defend a pass. In my opinion he has the ability to develop into a starting boundary cornerback in this league and this will be a very big offseason for him. 

Chad’s Rank – Average

​Chance of return: 100%

Summary: Bobby McCain was a pleasant surprise, rising from a guy that I was not sure would make the team to seeing some extensive playing time. He appeared to have a knack for making plays but was often caught out of position as well.

Like Tony Lippett, this will be a critical offseason for Bobby McCain. He will look to develop into a starter this offseason. At the very least I see him as affordable depth at a position where you really need 4-5 starting caliber players. Bobby could play both inside and outside making him intriguing to be on the field this year. At his current contract I think it is almost a certainty he will be back with the team in 2016.

Chad’s Rank – Above Average

Chance of return: 75%

​Summary:  Brent had a rough season in 2015. He was burned on several occasions, typically by the opposing team's top wide receiver. This has led many people to speculate Brent will be a salary cap cut in 2016.

Right now he would save about $6.5 million on the cap which is a substantial number (he would also have an extra $3 million of dead money on the books as well). However, if you look at this a bit deeper, Miami was forced to use the safeties more against the run as well as a means of support for the opposite cornerback in coverage.

This put Brent in one-on-one in man-to-man coverage frequently. Very few people can shut down a #1 WR in the NFL when put on them in man-to-man coverage over and over. Brent is still a solid cornerback that excels in zone coverage and is without a doubt a capable player. 

Miami needs another cornerback to play opposite Brent Grimes so cutting him would basically create yet another hole forcing Miami to have a need for two starting boundary cornerbacks. I think it is much more likely Miami will spend cap space on another high-end CB in free agency or they will add one in the first round of the draft.

​They will then pair that player with Grimes. This will give them a starting CB tandem to start 2016 with. Therefore, I think it is unlikely the team lets Brent go.

Chad’s Rank –Below Average

Chance of return: 25%

Summary: Jamar had a spectacular fall from grace in 2015. He went from the #2 CB to a player struggling to see the field over average players. The former #2 would be a $900,000 salary cap savings. Granted this is not a high number for a cornerback, however, it is a lot for a fringe player struggling to make the team.

The real question is, was Jamar grossly misused by the prior coaching staff, or is he in fact a below average player that will not make the team this year. I think with a new staff, $900,000 will be enough for them to move on and apply that towards a new CB in free agency.

​Chad’s Rank –Below Average

Chance of return: 0%

​Summary: As of writing this Brice McCain has been cut. After a poor 2015, I think it is highly unlikely the team brings him back in.

​Chad’s Rank – Elite

Chance of return: 100%

​Summary:  A stud, what else can you say? Reshad did it all this year:  He provided multiple pick-six plays, he was a monster in run defense, and he got after the quarterback.  He was one of the few bright spots on the team this year. 

The only bad thing I can say is he was not the most popular kid in school and was not voted as a starter for the Pro Bowl.  However, he ended up getting to go anyway so it worked out for him in the end. He will back next season without any doubts.

Chad’s Rank – Average

Chance of return: 100%

​Summary: I was personally a bit disappointed in Walt this year. He is loaded with talent and I expected him to step into the role of starting safety this year. However, he split time with Michael Thomas throughout the year and was caught out of position at times. 

This makes me question if he will ever be anything more than a reserve player in this league. At his current contract that is just fine for him to be depth and a special teams player. I hope he finds the path to the next level this offseason. He is affordable so I fully expect he will be back.

Chad’s Rank – Average

​Chance of return: 75%

Summary: Ever since he picked off Tom Brady a couple years ago, Michael Thomas has been a fixture on the team. He does not have ideal height to play safety and he does not have ideal quickness to play cornerback. 

Despite those limits, he still plays both at an average level and he also is a solid special teams performer. This makes him a useful player that can easily fill up a roster spot. I suspect he will most likely be back with the team next year in the same capacity.

The only reason I could see him not being back is if the team chooses to add a couple safeties in the draft and goes the development route with depth.

Chad's Rank – Unknown due to injury

Chance of return: 10%

Summary: When healthy, Louis is an above average safety in this league. However, two severe knee injuries in back to back seasons will really limit his ability to get re-signed. Louis is popular in the area and is a great team player.

If he has his knee rehabbed, I would not be shocked if the team brought him in for a look. In particular, he may fit if they don’t acquire a safety in the early rounds of the draft. I think they may consider offering Delmas a one-year affordable contract for him to come in and compete in training camp.

As you can see I expect the team will be looking for help at both cornerback and safety. I think the team will target one of the top veteran cornerbacks in free agency to pair with Brent Grimes and continue to develop Lippett and McCain as possible future starters. 

At safety I suspect the team will look to add a young safety possibly in rounds 2-4. With that being said the team could also take the route to use their eighth overall pick to address either position as well. If they go that route I would expect that draft pick to start on opening day.

This column was written by Chad Ronnebaum. Follow him on Twitter: @Gofins4SB

On this week's episode of PhinManiacs Live, the crew will discuss the latest roster moves made by the Miami Dolphins and the impact they will have on the roster if any.

Next on the block will be the comments made recently by owner Stephen Ross, including his statement regarding coaches in the NFL and what that has to do with Adam Gase, and also his comments regarding the three year old BullyGate scandal being about racism.

Finally, they will discuss what the future of key Dolphins free agents will be. All this and more on this week's edition of PhinManiacs Live.

They will be taking calls over the course of the show. If you wish to call in, call 1-954-376-5704, or you can tweet the show at @PhinManiacs.

When Miami Dolphins defensive end Cameron Wake went down with a torn Achilles this past season, fans were devastated. Just as the team, under then new interim head coach Dan Campbell was surging, posting big wins over the Titans and Texans, Wake suffered his injury while rushing after Tom Brady against the Patriots in their Week 8 game.

This of course wasn't the reason for the Dolphins lousy season, as that's a story we already have memorized. But...

It’s now being reported that Wake is nearly 100% recovered from his injury, and the Dolphins are looking to extend his contract. Wake has one year remaining on his current contract, but carries a $9.8 million hit against the 2016 salary cap. Should the Dolphins extend that contract, they will almost certainly be looking to reduce that 2016 salary cap hit.

On the plus side of such an extension, the Dolphins would keep a highly-productive player and locker room leader on their roster for likely the remainder of Wake’s career.

Restructuring the current contract would also free up a significant chunk of salary cap change which the team could then use to try and retain their two prized impending free agents, running back Lamar Miller and defensive end Oliver Vernon.

Having Wake and Vernon book-ending the defensive line gives the Dolphins the chance to utilize Derrick Shelby as a change of pace, and also see if 2013 first round pick Dion Jordan has what it takes to be a potential heir apparent for Wake.
On the risky side (not necessarily a down side, but certainly a risk), Wake will be a 34-year-old player coming off of a significant injury, with no guarantee that he will play at the same level as in year’s past.

On the surface, that sounds almost ludicrous, as Wake is one of the more hard-working and finely-conditioned athletes in the league who takes immense pride in his workouts and conditioning. But age and the severity of Wake’s injury do leave the team open to some risk.

Given the repercussions of a Wake contract extension, this story is definitely worth following as the offseason unfolds. Fan can expect movement on this front relatively quickly, given the impact on the team’s salary cap and free agency needs.

This story was written by Eldon Jenson. Follow him on Twitter @EJFootball

The Miami Dolphins have a dilemma. And it’s not going to be easy to solve.

Tuesday is the first day that NFL teams can place the Franchise or Transition tags on impending free agents. Those tags must be placed on players no later than March 1. Two players that are looming free agents for Miami, and players that the team insists are high priorities to keep in Dolphins uniforms, are running back Lamar Miller and defensive end Oliver Vernon.

Vernon may very well turn out to be the pivotal player that molds the rest of the offseason for the Dolphins. According to the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson, the Dolphins have not yet had any ‘meaningful discussions’ with Vernon’s agents. This isn’t wholly surprising, as it’s generally common practice to wait until close to the end of the window to tag players.

But worrisome for many fans is the fact that Vernon is already on record as saying that while he’d love to return to the team that drafted him, the former American High School (Miami) and University of Miami player is not interested in giving the Dolphins a hometown discount. And unfortunately for the Dolphins, this indicates that Vernon is well aware of his open market value and wants to be well compensated.

Vernon has recorded 194 tackles and 29 sacks in his four-year Dolphins career, including 7.5 sacks in 2015 (5.5 in the last 8 games). Over the last ten weeks of the 2015 season, Vernon recorded 64 QB pressures, more than any other defensive end in the NFL.

Those numbers, and especially his late season surge, make him one of the top free agent targets should he hit the open market. NFL teams highly value disruptive defensive ends, making it very risky for the Dolphins to allow him to test the market. Thus, unless the team is able to negotiate a long term deal in the next two weeks, the Dolphins are expected to use the Franchise tag on Vernon.

Using the Franchise tag would guarantee that Vernon stays in Miami for one more season, but at a high cost, roughly $15 million, all of which would count against the 2016 salary cap. Also, according to the Miami Herald’s Armando Salguero, tagging Vernon would mean he doesn’t have to report to any of the team's offseason OTAs, conditioning programs or camps other than what is mandated by the NFL.

Vernon’s defensive tackle position doesn’t require a ton of knowledge and study, but the Dolphins have a new head coach, a new defensive coordinator, and likely a new defensive scheme. And other than a three-day minicamp, Vernon wouldn’t be around the team or using the team facilities.

And that will play heavily on the minds of the Dolphins as they contemplate what to do. If the team leaves Vernon open to free agency, they would likely lose him, and in that scenario, their primary draft focus could change as well.

Stay tuned, folks. This one is shaping up to be a bumpy ride over the next two weeks!

This story was written by Eldon Jenson. Follow him on Twitter @EJFootball

The Dolphins Cancer Challenge (DCC) announced an additional exclusive opportunity for the South Florida community to be cancer fighters. On April 4, 2016, the DCC will hold its inaugural DCC Celebrity Golf Tournament hosted by Turnberry Isle Resort & Golf Club.

Co-Chaired by Don Soffer and James Caan, the tournament will offer cancer fighters a chance to golf and interact with athletes and other celebrity guests. One hundred percent of the funds raised from the golf tournament will benefit Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami.

The golf tournament will follow DCC VI, scheduled for Feb. 20, 2016. Participants can choose from a bike ride 13-100 miles and a 5k run/walk, with all routes leading to the stadium. DCC VI will culminate with a concert celebration featuring Grammy-Award winners Sheryl Crow and Melissa Etheridge.

“The participants, donors and partners of the Dolphins Cancer Challenge are dedicated to improving people’s lives through the financial support of innovative cancer research,” Miami Dolphins President & CEO and DCC VI Chair Tom Garfinkel said. “We wanted to expand the scope of ways for anyone to be a cancer fighter. This golf tournament provides an additional opportunity – along with our bike ride, 5k run/walk, Fall Family Fest and concert to help in this fight.”

Players will enjoy a complimentary, VIP shopping experience at the Pro Shop onsite exclusively for the DCC Celebrity Golf Tournament. Signature food and drinks will be served on the course with a cocktail reception and awards ceremony to end the day.

Golfers will tee off for a round of scramble-golf on the world-famous Soffer Course, home to a number of LPGA and PGA events. Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available. To register for a foursome, please visit DolphinsCancerChallenge.com.

​About Dolphins Cancer Challenge
The Dolphins Cancer Challenge (DCC) was founded in 2010 by the Miami Dolphins organization as the signature initiative of the Foundation’s health pillar. In part inspired by Dolphins alumnus and long-time radio voice Jim “Mad Dog” Mandich’s courageous battle with cancer, the DCC’s mission is to improve people’s lives through financial support for innovative cancer research at South Florida’s only academic-based cancer center – Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of Miami.

​Since its inception, the DCC has raised more than $11.55 million, donating 100 percent of participant-raised funds to Sylvester. For additional information, call (305) 943-6799 or visit www. DolphinsCancerChallenge.com. DCC can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/RideDCC and on Twitter at @TackleCancer.

Free agency is rapidly approaching, and quality players coming off their rookie contracts are licking their lips in anticipation for their big pay day.

Lamar Miller is no exception.

After spending the past three years as the Dolphins starting running back, Lamar Miller has gained himself a fair amount of respect around the league, and now that he'll be hitting the open market for the first time, it's extremely likely that Miller will earn himself a lucrative contract, by running back standards.

According to industry insiders, Miller, who averaged 893 yards, six touchdowns and 4.6 yards per attempt from 2013-2015, will likely receive a contract that will earn him roughly $5 million a year, putting him in-between the New York Giants' Shane Vereen and the Kansas City Chiefs' Jamaal Charles in annual salary.

Dolphins general manager Chris Grier spoke about Miller and Olivier Vernon at the Senior Bowl last month, and even then he made it clear that the franchise wanted both players back, although the coaching staff would have to make their evaluations regarding how they fit.

“We drafted them. We know them. We'd love to have them back." Grier said. "But the discussion is once the coaching staff evaluates and see how they fit, but they're certainly players that we have great affection for and have done a great job for us, so we'll see what happens.”

It was reported by Adam Beasley of the Miami Herald that behind the scenes, there's much more conviction regarding Miller's future. They want him back.

Miller is one of the league's most efficient running backs, and he's managed to keep a relatively clean medical history and he has very little tread on his tires due to misuse by previous coaching staffs. For Miller to get a contract that pays $5 million annually seems quite fair, but here's the $5 million dollar question: Is Miami willing to pay that much?

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

The roster purge continues in Miami, as the Dolphins have officially parted ways with defensive end Quinton Coples and cornerback Brice McCain.

2016's salary cap is estimated to be in the neighborhood of $154 million dollars, a hefty number to say the least. Unfortunately, the Dolphins cap obligations entering Friday had them about $5 million over that number, which led to the need to make these moves.

Cutting Coples - an expected move - saves the Dolphins approximately $7.8 million dollars in cap space, all of which would've had to be given to the former Jets defensive end had he remained on the roster. He was originally claimed off waivers from the Jets, and never actually recorded a stat despite being with the team for six games.

Coples was a former first-round draft pick for the Jets back in 2012, but he never truly fit their scheme as his niche was rushing the passer with his hand in the dirt, while the Jets had him playing outside linebacker. Now a free agent, the Dolphins could potentially re-sign Coples at a lesser price, but they may have competition as Coples is now free to sign with anyone.

McCain was signed by the Dolphins in the 2015 offseason from the Pittsburgh Steelers. He was valued by the Steelers for his skill as a slot corner, but he was inserted as a boundary corner starting opposite of Brent Grimes instead. He started 10 of the 14 games he played with Miami, but he lost his starting job due to inconsistency.

He ultimately recorded 39 tackles, one interception and ten deflected passes. Cutting McCain saves Miami $2.5 million dollars in cap space, with only about $1 million in dead money.

The cuts save Miami about $10 million total, but there's still very little cap space to work with for the Dolphins, and if they plan on doing anything in the offseason, more players will need to depart from Miami. There's also the possibility of restructuring Ndamukong Suh's contract, which would save a lot of cash right away, but would make things more difficult in later years.

There are still quite a few options for the Dolphins regarding cap space, but depending on what methodology they choose to employ, it could indicate how the franchise views 2016. A year of rebuilding, or a year of turning things around.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater 

​On this week's episode of PhinManiacs Live, the crew reacts to the outcome of the Super Bowl and everything that followed afterwards.

Also on the block this week is some more Dolphins roster discussion. Cuts are beginning around the league and there's no doubt that there will be some interesting names available soon.

Then we'll get in our quarterback talk for the week, as Greg Jennings has come out and said that Ryan Tannehill wants more freedom. Will he - or should he - get it?

All this and more on this week's episode of PhinManiacs Live.

If you'd like to tweet the show, tweet us at @PhinManiacs or you can call us at 1-954-376-5704

As the months have gone by in the aftermath of the Miami Dolphins disappointing 2015 season, more and more information has begun spilling out of the locker room regarding all that was wrong with the methods used by the coaching staff and players alike.

Now a player has come out publicly and suggested that the way the Dolphins coaching staff did things wasn't necessarily the correct choice of action, and it comes as a surprise due to the relationship this player had with the previous regime.

Veteran wide receiver Greg Jennings, who worked closely with former head coach Joe Philbin during their time together with the Green Bay Packers, recently went on CBS Sports Network's That Other Pregame Show (TOPS) and was asked whether or not he felt Ryan Tannehill was "the guy" for the Miami Dolphins.

What Jennings said was inconclusive, but the words he did use suggest that the Dolphins have in many ways stunted the potential growth of their quarterback, and as a result, even entering his fifth year in the NFL, no one knows for sure what Tannehill's ceiling really is.

"I don't think anyone knows yet. I really don't," Jennings said. "He's been kind of babied -- and I don't mean that in a bad way for him. He has the work ethic and the desire to be great. He just hasn't been given the reins to where he has the liberty and freedom to call the shots sometimes.

"It's almost like taking a baby, and he's six years old and no longer a baby. And he still has a bottle in his mouth. You gotta take it out and see if he can drink out of a cup."

All throughout the season, there were questions about whether or not Tannehill had the ability to change plays at the line of scrimmage through audibles, a basic privilege just about every starting quarterback in the NFL has, and it was later revealed that offensive coordinator Bill Lazor essentially revoked that privilege for no other reason other he just didn't feel Tannehill was capable.

This in itself is a problem whether you believe Ryan Tannehill is the answer in Miami or not. Fans of Tannehill will be upset that their QB has spent his career handcuffed. Naysayers of Tannehill will be upset that the coaching staff has found a way to let people continue making excuses for him.

The time has come for Tannehill to start being fed something other than the milk he's been given for his entire career, so it can be decided once and for all whether it's time to move on from him, or settle in for the long haul. Hopefully, Adam Gase will make that happen.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater

Not that this needs to be stated, but the Miami Dolphins need to make some serious upgrades in the linebacker corps this upcoming offseason, and according to the Miami Herald's Barry Jackson, the Dolphins intend to do just that.

When the 2015 season began, the Dolphins sent out a team of starting linebackers consisting of Jelani Jenkins at WLB, Koa Misi at SLB after spending 2014 as the team's middle linebacker, and Kelvin Sheppard took his place as the starting middle linebacker.

​Middle linebacker in particular is an area that needs to be upgraded, and according to Jackson, that's the position the Dolphins are most concerned about. In a typical defense, it's the middle linebacker that anchors the defense and is the "quarterback" in charge of getting everyone in line.

Sheppard wasn't able to make that happen.

In his 13 starts with the Miami Dolphins, Sheppard accumulated 105 tackles and deflected two passes, but as everyone is aware of now (at least I hope so), a large amount of tackles doesn't necessarily equate to a player being good. Memories of Philip Wheeler should now be running through everyone's mind.

There are options for the Dolphins to make upgrades at middle linebacker in free agency and the draft. Potential first rounders including Alabama's Reggie Ragland and maybe even UCLA's Myles Jack, who could play in the middle but was primarily an outside linebacker in college.

Other options include University of Florida linebacker Antonio Morrison and Notre Dame's Jaylon Smith, both of whom suffered knee injuries that could potentially cause them to drop in the draft and maybe land in Miami's lap, but that's all speculation.

The Miami Herald's Barry Jackson cites the fact that the Dolphins front office has stated they still feel that Zach Vigil, who was an undrafted free agent at Utah State, still has some upside and could potentially step up and play in the middle linebacker spot, and he will at the very least get some first team reps in OTAs.

It is unknown whether the Dolphins will hang on to linebacker Koa Misi, who is under contract with the Dolphins and would count for $4,878,000 against the salary cap. They could potentially designate Misi as a post-June 1st cut and save $4,300,000 in cap space and only add $578,000 to their dead money.

However, Misi has been a solid player for the Dolphins during his time with the team, and could be very valuable to them in terms of depth, which it's been made clear they are sorely lacking in.

It's unknown exactly what the Dolphins will do with the linebacker position at this time, but it is encouraging to see that the team realizes that what they put on the field last season simply won't cut it moving forward. Hopefully, the front office has an idea of who can help them get the problem fixed.

This story was written by Luis Sung. Follow him on Twitter: @FLSportDebater