Written by Andrew Abramson of The Palm Beach Post
The Miami Dolphins worked out several centers Monday to replace injured Pro Bowler Mike Pouncey, but they signed a guard to fill the void.

Daryn Colledge, 32, played under Dolphins coach Joe Philbin in Green Bay from 2006 through ’10 when Philbin was the Packers’ offensive line coach and later offensive coordinator.

Colledge (6-foot-4, 308 pounds) spent the last three seasons with Arizona. In 2013, Pro Football Focus graded him as the 45th-best guard of 81 in the NFL.

He has started every game since the 2008 season but would be playing center for the first time. He could compete for time at center while Pouncey recovers from hip surgery. Pouncey is expected to return during the first half of the season.

Written by Chris Perkins of the Sun-Sentinel
The Dolphins have signed left guard Daryn Colledge, an eight-year veteran who spent the last three seasons with Arizona and his first five seasons with Dolphins coach Joe Philbin in Green Bay, according to an NFL source. Colledge, who started for Green Bay in its Super XLV victory over Pittsburgh, was signed to a one-year deal. He's the active NFL leader in consecutive games played (128) for guards and second in consecutive games started (97).

Colledge, who played at Boise State, was cut by the Cardinals in June because he was scheduled to earn $5 million and cost $7.2 million on the salary cap.

Colledge was rated as the 42nd-best guard in the NFL last season by ProFootballFocus.com. That's three spots above John Jerry, a Dolphins starter last season, and 17 spots below former Dolphins guard Richie Incognito and current Dolphins right guard Shelley Smith.

Written by James Walker of ESPN.com
One term you hear over and over from the Miami Dolphins' coaching staff is "position flexibility." 

Head coach Joe Philbin values players who can be plugged in at multiple spots, even if they're better at some positions than others, because injuries happen. Philbin wants as many versatile players on his roster as possible. 

Going by that train of thought, Monday’s signing of veteran offensive lineman Daryn Colledge to a one-year contract made sense for the Dolphins. Miami did not sign a true center to replace injury Pro Bowler Mike Pouncey, who is out for at least 3-4 months following hip surgery. The Dolphins got a dependable, durable player who provides options for Miami’s offensive line. 

Written by Alain Poupart of MiamiDolphins.com
The Dolphins have been trying to build up their running back corps over the past few years, taking a player at that position in three consecutive drafts — Daniel Thomas in 2011, Lamar Miller in 2012 and Mike Gillislee in 2013. 

There’s a new face in the group this year in the form of free agent acquisition Knowshon Moreno, a first-round pick of the Broncos in 2009. Moreno joined the Dolphins after producing the first 1,000-yard season of his career and playing a significant role in helping Denver set NFL offensive records and reach the Super Bowl. 

The Dolphins also signed two intriguing rookie free agents after the 2014 draft, Damien Williams and Orleans Darkwa, and find themselves with a lot of depth as training camp approaches. 

Written by James Walker of ESPN.com
Here is the offseason issue with the Miami Dolphins' deep-ball attack involving quarterback Ryan Tannehill and receiver Mike Wallace: The media simply hasn't seen it. 

After seven practices open to the media -- including a three-day mandatory minicamp -- Tannehill has yet to prove he's improved his biggest weakness from a year ago. Tannehill tried to connect deep with Wallace on a few occasions during open media sessions and misfired, which is mostly what the rest of the NFL saw last season. 

Yet, Dolphins players and coaches say Tannehill has improved his deep ball in 2014. But all the big plays have been on display during the private sessions not open to the media. Is this fact or fiction? 

"(You) haven't been here. ... We hit those, about three or four of them so far,” Wallace said of deep passes against Miami’s defense. “Me and him haven't personally thrown that many. If we've thrown like six, we've hit on like four." 

"They have, a number of times. ... It's been better," Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin also confirmed. 

Written by Anthony Chiang of The Palm Beach Post
After starting high school football as a defensive back, Ryan Tannehill finally made the switch to quarterback as a junior.

But he didn’t get to pass very much at Big Spring High, which used a run-heavy Wing-T offense. So he turned to 7-on-7 football in the spring and summer to fine-tune his throwing mechanics.

“It was big for me,” said Tannehill, who went on to Texas A&M and was drafted eighth overall by the Dolphins in 2012. “That’s where I got a lot of my throws in. It played a big part in the development of my play and the guys around me, too.”

Tannehill is one of many quarterbacks who benefited from the 7-on-7 craze in Texas and elsewhere. Four of last season’s 12 NFL playoff teams were led by quarterbacks who played high school football in Texas — New Orleans’ Drew Brees, Indianapolis’ Andrew Luck, Cincinnati’s Andy Dalton and Philadelphia’s Nick Foles.“It has to play a part in the success of Texas quarterbacks,” Tannehill said of 7-on-7. “There’s a state tournament and you all compete against each other. The competition, the repetition, it all goes into becoming a better player.”

Written by Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald
The Dolphins' search for a roster replacement for injured Mike Pouncey will extend beyond guard Darryn Colledge. 

A source said tonight that the Dolphins also have booked center Samson Satele for a workout on Monday. Colledge and Satele are expected to be joined by two other linemen at Monday's workout. The identity of the other two was not immediately known.

Satele, drafted 60th overall by Miami in 2007, started his first two NFL seasons for the Dolphins before being traded to Oakland in March 2009 for a sixth-round pick and an exchange of fourth-round picks. The Dolphins parted ways with Satele after signing free agent center Jake Grove, a regrettable move in retrospect. Satele, 29, then started three seasons for the Raiders, before moving on to Indianapolis, where he started 11 games in 2012 and 13 in 2013.

Written by Andrew Abramson of The Palm Beach Post
The Dolphins are bringing in at least three offensive linemen for a workout on Monday as they figure out how to replace center Mike Pouncey.

Pouncey underwent hip surgery last week and is out indefinitely. Daryn Colledge, a guard who spent the last three seasons with Arizona, will visit with the Dolphins, a league source told the Palm Beach Post. Colledge has started every game since the 2008 season but would be playing center for the first time in his career.

Miami is also bringing in Samson Satele and Steve Vallos and will workout one additional lineman, the Miami Herald’s Barry Jackson reported.

Colledge, 32, played with Green Bay from 2006-2010. Dolphins coach Joe Philbin was the Packers’ offensive line coach and then offensive coordinator during Colledge’s time in Green Bay. He was a starter on Green Bay’s 2010 Super Bowl championship team.

Written by Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk
The Dolphins’ search for offensive line help in the wake of center Mike Pouncey’s hip surgery is reportedly leading them to former Colts center Samson Satele.

Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reports that the Dolphins will meet with Satele on Monday. That’s also when former Cardinals guard Daryn Colledge is scheduled to visit with the team and Jackson adds that two other offensive linemen will also work out for the team, although their identities are unknown at the moment.

Satele started his NFL career as a Dolphin after Miami selected him with the 60th overall pick of the 2007 draft. He played two years with the team before they traded him to the Raiders.

Given the amount of experience both Colledge and Satele had, the Dolphins may be planning to fill out their workout list with other available vets. Fernando Velasco, Dan Koppen, Ryan Cook and David Baas all spent time as starting centers in recent seasons and all are currently unemployed.

Written by Josh Alper of Pro Football Talk
The Dolphins didn’t return Andre Gurode’s phone call, but they may still have interest in adding a veteran offensive lineman to the mix after losing Mike Pouncey for at least three months after hip surgery. Longtime football writer Jason Cole reports that Daryn Colledge will visit with the Dolphins in the near future. Colledge was cut by the Cardinals early in the offseason and has drawn smatterings of interest in the last few months without landing a job.

With 124 starts under his belt, Colledge has plenty of experience but almost all of it is at guard. Should he wind up in Miami, the team might take a look at Shelley Smith at center with Colledge at guard although there are a few ways the Dolphins could go in the wake of Pouncey’s surgery.

Colledge’s chances of landing with the Dolphins may be helped by the fact that he played for Miami coach Joe Philbin for five years when Philbin was the offensive line coach and offensive coordinator in Green Bay.

Written by Chris Perkins of the Sun-Sentinel
Before you get all starry-eyed thinking of the Dolphins’ possibilities with their fancy new offense, ask yourself one question. 

What’s the most realistic identity for the Dolphins this season: being a high-scoring offensive machine, or a defense-led team that uses offense to supply what’s necessary? I think it’s clearly the latter. Again.

That might be a bit disappointing considering new offensive coordinator Bill Lazor’s system is supposed to usher the Dolphins into the high-scoring era of the NFL. But that’s not realistic for this year’s Dolphins team. This year’s Dolphins team needs to be led by a butt-kicking, turnover-producing, play-making defense. That needs to be this team's calling card.

The Dolphins were eighth in points allowed last season (20.9 per game). That’s playoff-caliber. Unfortunately, the offense (19.8 ppg) ranked 27th in points scored, and only managed seven points in the final two games. The Dolphins should be better, but don’t expect a major improvement this year. Also, consider this: The Dolphins’ strength is their defensive line. At the tackle position the three-man rotation of Randy Starks, Jared Odrick and Earl Mitchell is probably capable of handling anything thrown its way. On the ends, Cam Wake, Olivier Vernon, Dion Jordan and Derrick Shelby combine to form the best playmaking unit on the team.

In this second installment of "In My Defense", we'll be looking at a player who really blossomed last season and became a force to be reckoned with - his name is Olivier Vernon. 

Vernon was drafted in the third round after falling slightly due to him previously serving an NCAA suspension which allowed him to only start three games in a rather disappointing junior year for the Miami Hurricanes, and lucky for the Miami Dolphins they decided to take him in the third round and has managed to pay them back abundantly. 

At first I didn't even consider Olivier Vernon to be "underrated", but then I watched NFL Network a few days ago where they counted down the top 5 pass-rushing combinations in the NFL and despite posting a Pro Bowl-caliber season where he recorded 11.5 sacks, Vernon, paired with 3-time Pro Bowler Cameron Wake didn't make the list. 

It's these kinds of things that make me feel like a lot of the Miami Dolphins are being ignored just because they're Miami Dolphins, but that's merely my inner fan shouting out in displeasure and disapproval, it could simply be that if Vernon manages to put together two consecutive solid seasons, Vernon will start demanding attention.

Originally posted on the Sun Life Stadium website
Earlier today, the Miami Dolphins commenced work on the modernization of Sun Life Stadium. The multi-year construction project officially began this morning following a successful vote before the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners last Tuesday. The project, which will encompass a host of improvements, including all new seats, a shade canopy, new video boards, and concourse and concession improvements, is expected to be complete by the start of the 2016 football season. Upon completion, Sun Life Stadium will be a best-in-class facility capable of attracting world-class events to South Florida for the next 25 years.

“Today is an exciting day for the Miami Dolphins and South Florida as we mark the beginning of our comprehensive stadium modernization project,” said Tom Garfinkel, President & Chief Executive Officer of the Miami Dolphins and Sun Life Stadium. “Once complete, the stadium will serve as a global destination that will bring a diverse set of world-class events and significant economic benefits to Miami-Dade County.”

Written by Omar Kelly of the Sun-Sentinel
Last year the volume on Reshad Jones' impact got turned down. 

The Miami Dolphins' starting strong safety went from being one of the most impactful players on the defense in 2012 to becoming just a guy in 2013. The Dolphins linebacker shift changed his roles, making Jones more responsible for tight end coverage, and tailbacks coming out the backfield, and at times Jones struggled in the new defense.

Not helping matters was the fact this former Georgia standout had just signed a lucrative four-year, $29.3 million contract extension before the season, which helped raise expectations for him to follow up on his breakout year. Jones doesn't shy away from admitting his play didn't match the expectations, but he also feels like people are making too much of the decline.

"Minus three interceptions it was the same season," Jones said of his 2013 showing, which featured 107 tackles, one and a half sacks, and one interceptions.

In 2012 Jones, who is entering his fourth season as a starter for the Dolphins, contributed 94 tackles, one sack, four interceptions and forced two fumbles. His play in 2012 earned him the Profootballfocus.com rating as the NFL's third best safety that season. The only safeties he didn't outperform was Eric Weddle and Jarius Byrd, which explained the lucrative contract extension former General Manager Jeff Ireland gave him.

Written by Zach Dean of MiamiDolphins.com
In the days leading up to the 2014 NFL draft, few knew who GM Dennis Hickey and Head Coach Joe Philbin had in mind to select for the Miami Dolphins with the 19th overall pick. 

Shortly after 10 p.m. on the night of May 8, fans and media alike finally got their answer: offensive tackle Ja’Wuan James from the University of Tennessee. The former 4-star recruit from SuWanee, Georgia was the highest selected Volunteer offensive lineman since 1991, started a record 49 consecutive games for the University of Tennessee, and is expected to anchor the right side of a Dolphins offensive line experiencing major overhaul from a season ago.  However, James hasn’t always been an offensive lineman.  In fact, up until his junior year of high school, James was a tight end, until one practice, when former O-line coach Charles Allen stepped in and changed the course of James’ life forever.

On Monday, Allen joined The Finsiders to discuss his experience coaching James throughout high school. He discussed the moment he knew the transition to tackle was inevitable and the conversation he and James had the morning after he was drafted.

Written by Chris Perkins of the Sun-Sentinel
Dolphins defensive end Derrick Shelby had a decent season last year, posting 34 tackles (two for losses), 2.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles in limited action.

But Shelby, the third-year player who was undrafted out of Utah, knew he had to be better, starting with his conditioning. So he enlisted the best man for that job – Pro Bowl defensive end Cam Wake, who is probably among the most physically fit players in the NFL. To Shelby, seeking help from Wake was natural. They have an unspoken bond.

“He came in the same way I came in -- undrafted, having to prove himself,” Shelby said of Wake, who was undrafted out of Penn State, “and look at him now, a Pro Bowler, so why not take notes from that guy?”