1. I can understand why the Dolphins are uneasy with Byron Maxwell at cornerback. I have never been comfortable with the Dolphins depending on Maxwell to hold down one of the cornerback spots and its no surprise that he’s having difficulty doing so (again). The problem that the Dolphins have is that they don’t have any good alternatives. Head coach Adam Gase explains what the Dolphins are trying to do:

The alternative that’s most commonly mentioned for the spot is Alterraun Verner. The problem? Verner is 5'10". Maxwell is 6'1".

​If the Dolphins want more physical play from their cornerbacks they almost have to go with Maxwell. And that’s a problem.

3. No one is going to hear this but tight end Julius Thomas is already showing signs of being this year’s Mario Williams. He can’t block, he’s not getting open, and he’s showing every sign of being a Mike Tannenbaum roll of the dice that came up snake eyes.

​I guess we’ll see.

6. One of the most interesting questions of the Dolphins offseason has been why the over-under for the team in Vegas is only 7.5 games.

Based upon their performance last year, you would think that the over would be a slam dunk. And yet… these guys make their living setting betting lines and they have a bad habit of being right.So what gives?
There are a number of reasons that are commonly given for why this could be.

1. The opponents gets tougher this year. The Dolphins have a second place schedule. The AFC East plays the AFC West, perhaps the toughest division in football. Baltimore traditionally gives them trouble and the Dolphins are 1-3 against them the last three games they played..
2. They won a lot of close games last year and the thinking is that kind of luck won’t continue into a new season.

To these I’ll add at least one more that are less concrete that, perhaps, have escaped most fans or which most flat out don’t agree with.

Last year I wrote about that “new coach boost” that teams with new coaches can get. Every player concentrates just a little bit more because every player knows that with a new staff with no loyalty to any player on the team, every job is up for grabs - more than usual. Everyone is uncomfortable and that can lead to better focus and a boost in performance.

This year that boost is gone. Don’t get me wrong. Adam Gase is a tough coach and I’m sure he’ll do what it takes to keep these guys on their toes to the extent that he can. But the fact is that they’ve all had a year with him now. They know him and they’ve developed relationships with him and, well, they’re more comfortable with him. It’s a different situation and it might lead to a natural let down - one that every team in the second season with a coach might reasonably expect to experience.

But with the Dolphins it's even more than that this year.

There’s a dichotomy in sports in general and in the NFL in particular that comes into play here. Over and over again you’ll hear that teams want to “sign their own”. They want to re-sign their own draft picks to second contracts rather than rolling the dice with free agent rejects from other teams. I’ve said it too.

The Dolphins acted on their words this year. Boy, did they ever.

They took care of a lot of their players with long term contracts - Kenny Stills, Kiko Alonso, Andre Branch, Reshad Jones.

Ordinarily everyone would support this. But this isn’t just one or two guys they signed. It's a good chunk of their most important players. The downside is that they’ve made everyone, well, comfortable. Comfortable financially. Comfortable in that they know they aren’t going anywhere. Secure in their starting jobs into the future. A lot of guys.

The truth is that this is something that we all want - me included - and I congratulate these players. It’s a feel good. And, hey, a little loyalty might boost performance, too, right?

​But there’s also this niggling feeling that a little discomfort isn’t always a bad thing. Here’s hoping the 2017 Dolphins aren’t going to make that doubt into disappointing reality.

7. The likely backup tackles for the Dolphins? The inconsistent Sam Young and undrafted rookie Eric Smith.

​Look for the Dolphins to rake carefully through the waiver wire to fortify this position along with defensive tackle (as usual) and, as mentioned above, linebacker (as usual) if at all possible. Otherwise they’re asking for trouble again the minute a starter goes down.

Another recent example can be easily found in Atlanta where Vic Beasley followed up a disappointing four sack 2015 season with a whopping NFL leading 15.5 in 2016.
Dolphin fans may just need to be patient with Harris. The result might be worth the weight.

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

Note that the first word in the title of this article is expectorations, not expectations - a subtle difference that may very well only be truly defined by the most discernable Miami Dolphins fan.

And on that note, here is one man’s opinion on how the Dolphins 2017 season could play out. I offer this service in hopes of putting fan expectations squarely in the “yeah, totally saw that coming” bin (you’ll find that bin next to the 75% off clearance bin at Walmart, by the way).

As the regular season approaches, fans throughout Dolphinsland are desperately trying to decide if this team is going to be amazingly awesome and good, or putridly pathetic and poor. Obviously the answer lies somewhere in the middle because, well, the Jets and Browns exist.

But before we get to that, let’s look at some pretty solid factoids that almost all fans, diehard or jaded, would agree upon.

First, this team’s defense starts with a line containing two top-notch All-Pros, with the jury still out on the complementary parts. Not a lot has changed on a unit that was pretty bad against the run last year, and it seems they’ve spent the preseason striving to be exactly the same.

The linebacker corps (some would say corpses thanks to some injury attrition) has a couple of good players and a whole mess of young unproven talent that just screams “we’re gonna be adequate, dammit!”

And in the secondary, we sport a highly skilled, yet frustratingly inconsistent group (tackling, anyone?) that is often left with the brunt of the blame when the units in front of them miss assignments.

A harsh assessment? Yes, but until proven otherwise, I am going to continue to experience a feeling of dread each time this unit trots onto the field. And to their credit, they were bad enough last year that they really have nowhere to go but up, so improvement is imminent. Just how much improvement remains to be seen, but I can’t ignore the fact that some key injuries (Tony Lippett and Raekwon McMillan) will likely offset the additions made to this side of the ball.

But it’s not all bad.

On offense, the Dolphins have a top-10 stud running back in Jay Ajayi, who will run behind an improved - if remarkably less-than-stellar - offensive line. The team itself doesn’t yet know who the starting five will be, and will very likely spend the early part of the season rotating parts at the guard position.

The brightest spot on this side of the ball is the receiving corps, which sports a three man group that arguably ranks among the best in the league, plus a newly signed and hopefully rejuvenated tight end (Julius Thomas) who was a weapon of mass destruction in Denver before physically self-destructing in Jacksonville.

And throwing the ball to all of them is a Pro Bowl quarterback (2008) who could care less what you think of him.
Throw that all together and you have the makings of a surefire Super Bowl team, right?

Yeah, no. We can all hope, but, well yeah, just no.

What we can expect is a team that, for better or worse, will spend each week of the season trying to outshoot their opponents, and causing about 47 heart attacks per possession for couch potatos across the land.

Jay Cutler, whom we all know had his best season in 2015 under the guidance of Dolphins head coach Adam Gase, is a gunslinging quarterback who can wow you with his arm, and then just as easily sour your bean dip with an ill-advised throw into traffic. But that’s part of Cutler’s appeal: he’s never seen a throw he didn’t think he could make.

As fans of the Broncos and Bears can attest, Dolphins fans will need to learn to take the good with the bad, as Cutler has the ability to make throws not seen in South Florida since that one Hall of Fame guy retired at the end of the last century, but Cutler also brings the moxie to break your heart.

Gase reigned Cutler in just enough to produce Cutler’s highest-rated season of his career in 2015, and he has gushed about what Cutler brings to this Dolphins offense, even stating that he can count on Cutler to bail him out of a bad play call. That comment alone tells you all you need to know about Gase’s faith in his new signalcaller.

So what will we see in 2017? This writer donned his rose-colored glasses and weirdly thinks Cutler will produce some very good, if not great numbers. Cutler’s job is to get the ball to his playmakers, and this team has a bunch of them. If he’s successful, this offense has top-8 potential.

Let’s call it 30 touchdowns (which would be a career high) along with a dozen interceptions for Cutler. And let’s add in 1,200 yards, 10 touchdowns, and another Pro Bowl nod for Ajayi.

Those numbers alone would translate to top-10 offense and a playoff-worthy record.

But alas, that drastic and dreadfully deplorable Dolphins defense resembles a sieve (okay, they probably won’t be  that bad, but it was still pretty cool to type). Because of that, it’s pretty much a given that unless the Dolphins score at least, let’s say 25 points, they probably aren’t winning that game. In fact, I dare predict that the Dolphins lose any game that they score less than 24 points.

Bottom line, the Dolphins will be entertaining to watch this year. There should be a lot of fireworks on offense leading to cheers from fans everywhere, offset by plenty of points being given up, which will cause some groaning and gnashing of teeth across the Dolphinsphere. Or drinking. Probably lots of drinking.

All of this points to a season that could end with the Dolphins sitting at 8-8.

But before you tweet bashful things to me (and by bashful I mean figuratively bashing my head in), let’s not forget our super deluxe special edition secret weapon: Adam Gase. He really is the real deal. The not-so-ol’ ball coach will pull a few rabbits out of his old-logo-style ball cap, and make some key moves that translate to a couple more wins.

And in the end, although it’ll be anything but pretty, I think we’ll see a team with 10 wins and a great shot at a second consecutive playoff berth. So stock up the beer fridge, buckle up, and please keep your hands inside the ride at all times.

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

As the Miami Dolphins reach for linebacker depth after the season-ending knee injury to promising rookie Raekwon McMillan, the team has decided to bring in and sign former Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Rey Maualuga. He posted a photo of himself in Dolphins gear inside the practice bubble in Davie on Saturday.

Maualuga, 30, came in for a workout with the Dolphins a few days ago along with fellow veteran and former Dolphin Kelvin Sheppard, who recently signed with the Chicago Bears.

Maualuga was a former second round draft pick for the Bengals back in 2009, and he spent eight seasons with them as one of the staple linebackers in their defense, starting 104 games, making 584 tackles, four sacks, seven interceptions and six forced fumbles.

The Bengals decided to part ways with Maualuga this offseason in an effort to shed salary, as well as - no doubt - his tendency to get nicked up with injuries of his own. He has only played in all 16 games twice in his eight year career, but he has never missed more than four games per season.

Coach Marvin Lewis said this following the release: “Rey has been a tough and productive player for us, and a fine teammate, and this is a difficult decision. It’s one of several we have made to transition to a younger group at linebacker as we continue to shape our 2017 roster. We wish Rey and his family the very best.”

The decision for the Dolphins to go with Maualuga over the likes of Sheppard could potentially be due to the familiarity shared between Maualuga and new defensive coordinator Matt Burke, who spent two seasons (2014-15) as the linebacker coach for the Bengals.

Now, Maualuga will push current projected replacement Mike Hull for a starting position, as well as young outside linebacker Neville Hewitt, who is currently nursing a shoulder injury and could see his role being decreased with the signing of another veteran.

Maualuga spent a large amount of time on the outside for the Bengals, which is where the competition with Hewitt comes in. 

It's unknown how much of a contribution Maualuga will make at this point of the preseason, but the Dolphins appear to be putting everything on the line for 2017, as they have used up almost all of this year's salary cap to fill the holes left by injuries.

Thankfully, Maualuga will only be making the veteran minimum of $900,000, and thanks to the "minimum salary benefit," he will count for only $615,000 against the team's strained salary cap. The MSB was previously used on cornerback Alterraun Verner.

If all goes well, the investment will pay its dividends.

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

Once again, the Baltimore Ravens found a way to come up on top and defeat the Miami Dolphins. Thankfully, however, it was in the preseason so this game is ultimately meaningless in the grand scheme of things. That doesn't mean it wasn't eye-opening in some ways.

Without further ado, let's get into the biggest takeaways from the Dolphins' big preseason loss.

It was hard to watch the game due to the lack of overall execution for a vast majority of the playing time, but one silver lining that can be taken away from the loss is that the team got off relatively injury free, which - considering the number of injuries the team has suffered already - is a major victory.

The only injury of note was when tight end Chris Pantale suffered a concussion that now has him in the concussion protocol, which may very well put an end to his attempts to make the roster.

There were some minor scares when it was revealed that WR Jakeem Grant was running along the sidelines to test his ability to do so, and there was a moment when it seemed that offensive lineman Isaac Asiata may have hurt himself, as he was being tended to on a table by trainers.

Fortunately, he returned to the game shortly after.

With Miami already having lost Ryan Tannehill, Raekwon McMillan and Tony Lippett to season-ending injuries, and with veteran guard Ted Larsen out for an extended period of time with a torn bicep, the Dolphins can hardly afford to lose any more potential contributors.

Hopefully, the injuries will start to tail off, and the team will have enough time to recuperate before the start of the regular season.

As much fun as it would be to simply say that Jay Cutler is the next coming of Dan Marino and the Miami Dolphins are in good hands, the reality is that Cutler had a performance that had just as much bad as it did good. His official stats - which did not reflect how good (or how bad) he was - were listed as 3 for 6 for 24 yards.

To be fair, Cutler was working with a sub-par offensive line, and he did take a significant shot during his final rep in the game, but we have to acknowledge that Cutler is not a perfect solution, and he did Cutler-like things that are just as bad as they are good.

Cutler has a terrific arm, the likes of which are rare even in today's NFL, and his lack of concern for what happens with the ball opens up a lot of chances for big plays. But, there's as much of a chance of it being a big, BAD play. It was exciting to see Cutler heave up passes for DeVante Parker to go up and get, but it was unnerving to see it happen in double coverage.

Accuracy was never his strong point to begin with, though his arm strength has always managed to help remedy that issue somewhat in the past. It was encouraging to see Cutler able to move up in the pocket and find targets, but despite all the - unwarranted - media attention, it will be some time before Cutler proves himself to be a starter on the level of Ryan Tannehill. 

Another bright spot was the performance of the Dolphins' rookies: Davon Godchaux, Charles Harris, Cordrea Tankersley and Vincent Taylor all managed to flash against the - admittedly weaker - competition thrown at them.

Tankersley, getting more playing time in place of the injured Tony Lippett, was able to make an impressive interception, taking the ball away from the wide receiver before he could get full possession, and he added two tackles onto his game box score.

As for the defensive linemen, they were able to give the Ravens offensive line and running backs for a majority of the game, getting in the backfield and flashing their skills.

There was a point in the game where rookie Charles Harris was actually triple-teamed by the Ravens offensive line, and both Davon Godchaux and Vincent Taylor made tackles for a loss.

The mid and late round draft picks are usually not expected to do much, but already they are showing that their skill may not be indicative of their draft status. If the Dolphins can get good production out of their rookies, then there is still hope for a successful 2017 season.

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

Training camp is officially closed to the public with the announcement that Tuesday's practice was being moved to the bubble, and so this will be my final training camp report barring any changes.

But, there's always something more to learn, and this far into camp, we start to notice some trending patterns regarding this Miami Dolphins football team. Players consistently standing out, players consistently blending in, and of course some players are just plain invisible for one reason or another.

So as we bring this year's series of training camp reports to its probable conclusion, let's take a look at what stood out the most.

It's sad that I have to bring this up as one of the main storylines of the day, especially on a day when both Jay Ajayi and Mike Pouncey participated in scrimmages, but the number of injuries the team is going through before the season even starts is reaching a critical level.

Isaiah Ford, Francis Owusu, Leonte Carroo, Kraig Urbik, Ted Larsen, Neville Hewitt, Nate Allen and Walt Aikens were all held out of practice, and later it was revealed that Julius Thomas was added to that list of injured players as he was held out with a back issue.

Then, two more players went down with injuries, as Tony Lippett apparently tripped over someone and walked off the field, and then running back Kenyan Drake got hit in the back of the head during a scrimmage play by defensive back Torry McTyer, and the second-year player had to be helped off the field by trainers with his head hung the whole way.

As much as we would all like to believe that it doesn't matter what players Adam Gase ultimately ends up with by the time the season starts, there is a reason why some players are considered starters and others are considered backups. Gase did a phenomenal job with what he had to work with in 2016, but if players keep going down like this, repeated success in 2017 is going to be extremely difficult to find.

The Dolphins' 2017 first round draft pick has had an up and down offseason, with strong first impressions in OTAs and mini-camp, then having a bit of a drop-off when training camp started up.

Now, however, Harris is starting to come back on the scene again, as he beat his blocker several times in scrimmage, and on one particular play, he was able to get around Laremy Tunsil for a would-be sack on Jay Cutler, along with another one on Brandon Doughty with William Hayes.

​Harris still has some work to do, no doubt about that, but it's encouraging to see him getting back in his groove after a slow start to training camp.

Jakeem Grant continues to be an impressive weapon as a wide receiver, his speed and quickness makes it difficult for defensive backs to stay with him and his apparent hands problems seems to vanish when he's catching balls from the hands of QBs as opposed to kicks and punts from special teamers.

Grant's potential is unique on this roster, and with all the injuries the team is facing, it would be wise to keep a player like him on the 53 in case a special play is required.

To see Mike Pouncey getting time in scrimmage is an incredibly encouraging sight. He opened up a massive hole for running back Jay Ajayi during one play, the likes of which had not been all camp long. He makes a massive difference when he's on that line, and he will be a required piece of it if the Dolphins want to succeed in 2017.

Mike Hull made two impressive stops against the run on Monday, filling in for injured rookie Raekwon McMillan who will most likely not play until 2018 thanks to his knee injury. Hull is a scrappy player and has earned the respect of his teammates. He is limited in his skill set, but if you need someone to make a tackle and stop the run, he can handle it.

Running back Storm Johnson has been impressing in camp, and in my mind, he has cemented himself as the fourth best running back on the roster. Third if you count pure running ability, as Damien Williams is lacking in that regard. Johnson impressed against the Falcons and took over Senorise Perry's spot on the depth chart. If the Dolphins foresee Kenyan Drake missing significant time after his injury, Johnson could fill in that third RB spot.

Xavien Howard is starting to catch up in terms of coverage, early on in camp DeVante Parker was making him look like he was still a rookie, but Monday he started stepping up, breaking up passes to Parker and Stills, and having an overall solid day. As the projected starter alongside Byron Maxwell, it's good to see Howard starting to get into the groove again.

Finally as I close out this report, I would like to thank everyone who kept up with my camp coverage this year, it was my distinct pleasure to be able to provide you all with play-by-play of the Dolphins' practices, and I sincerely hope you'll stay tuned as PhinManiacs continues to cover the team throughout the season.

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

The Miami Dolphins won their first preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons. But more importantly, the coaching staff finally got an opportunity to get some game tape on their players against a different group of players, allowing for some much deeper evaluation.

Some players stood out, some players disappeared...and some players suffered injuries that could potentially set the team back even more than they already were. But as is always the case, trust must be kept that this coaching staff - that somehow led the 2016 Dolphins from 1-4 to 10-6 - knows how to overcome the challenges set before them.

​With that said, let's take a quick look at three of the main takeaways from Miami's preseason victory against the Falcons.

Unfortunately, we have to address the biggest problem of the night. After playing just one play on special teams, rookie linebacker Raekwon McMillan suffered an injury that may or may not be a torn ACL.

Reports went out from all over that McMillan had torn his ACL, and while the team has yet to confirm these reports, the very fact that these reports are being made does not bode well for the Dolphins' linebacker corps, as McMillan was slotted to be the team's starting middle linebacker.

This issue can be circumvented with a lot of nickel defense, which the Dolphins used for a vast majority of the time in 2016. But the drafting of McMillan was primarily meant to help supplement the team's mediocre run defense, which looked like it was on the right path until now.

​Until the official confirmation is given, there's still hope that McMillan's injury isn't season-ending. But the team must prepare for the worst just in case, whether that means expecting Mike Hull to step up, or going after a veteran on the open market.

Some good news to go along with the bad now. There have been a lot of questions regarding the depth of the interior defensive line. With Ndamukong Suh being the only sure thing at the tackle position, who would start alongside him and could the players underneath the main two play well enough to avoid being a weak link?

Well against the Falcons, backup players showed that they have a lot of promise, and rookies Davon Godchaux and Vincent Taylor once again showed off that they have a lot of talent worth investing in. Godchaux got snaps with the starters once again alongside Suh, and he made several stops against the run.

With the uncertainty about the linebacker corps, it's good to see that the defensive linemen are stepping up the way they are. They're going to be needed this season.

​This may seem somewhat obvious to state, but the depth of the wide receiver position was truly put on display on Thursday night. Jakeem Grant made a leaping catch on a high Brandon Doughty pass, and then Leonte Carroo managed to adjust to a hanging lob from Doughty for a touchdown.

It didn't stop there though, as later in the game, WRs Francis Owusu and Damore'ea Stringfellow both made impressive catches for big plays, the latter of whom caught a 99-yard touchdown from QB David Fales.

​Yes, 99 yards. It was quite a sight.

Many thought that after the loss of Rashawn Scott (PUP list) and Isaiah Ford (recently placed on IR after meniscus surgery) that the depth of the wide receiver position would take a huge hit.

But now the truth is out: there is a lot more talent at the WR position than anyone could have even imagined, and when the cuts before the start of the regular season happen, there are going to be numerous teams putting in waiver claims for whoever the Dolphins are forced to cut ties with.

Ultimately, this game means nothing in the grand scheme of things (except for the McMillan injury), but it does bring us all one step closer to regular season football, and even though the disappointment is fresh in the minds of fans everywhere, hope will doubtlessly rebuild itself as the season approaches.

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

Tuesday was the final session of training camp before the Miami Dolphins' first preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons, which will take place on Thursday night at Hard Rock Stadium. While it has been revealed that newly-signed QB Jay Cutler won't be starting that game, coach Adam Gase has yet to rule him out altogether.

​​Ryan Tannehill was out there on the field as well, speaking to Cutler and no doubt helping him get acclimated to the new terminology and the nuances of his new teammates and coaches. There was a lot to see today, and here are just a few of the stories.

While it was indeed Matt Moore who got the first few reps with the starters during scrimmage on Tuesday, there's no denying that the best (healthy) quarterback on the field was Jay Cutler. The 34-year old gunslinger was out there showing Moore what it really meant to be a holder of that title, and why he had the arm strength to back it up.

All forms of national media was on-site to watch as Cutler practiced throwing routes and showed off his cannon arm, one particularly impressive play was when he threw a bullet to Kenny Stills - who had recently returned to practice - in the middle of the field, and plays like that were made all throughout the day.

Clearly, there is to be no concern regarding Cutler's arm after the rotator cuff surgery he underwent. His arm is strong and is ready to resume its gunslinging ways.

Now the only question at this point is this: Will it be enough to give the Dolphins a repeat appearance in the playoffs after the team - with all its numerous injuries - limped its way to the finish line? That's what we will have to find out when the season begins.

While everyone was getting giddy over the new QB in town, the true key to the Dolphins offense returned to practice on a limited basis, as he goes through the final steps of the NFL's concussion protocol.

Running back Jay Ajayi participated in individual drills on Tuesday morning, catches passes from both Cutler and Matt Moore, as well as getting in a little time with the pass-blocking dummies. Gase mentioned after practice that though he would be "hard pressed" to throw Ajayi into the fire on Thursday, he hasn't yet ruled out anything out.

The national media is focused on the QB - which has been their M.O. for many, many years now. But the true key to the success of the Miami Dolphins - which somehow I doubt they legitimately care about - unceremoniously returned to practice, which should be the main focus from this point on, as the offense will be run through the star rusher.

The big stories of the day - in my mind - were Cutler and Ajayi. After that, things start to become less thrilling. Although, one player that I've been harping on all offseason (Jakeem Grant) was able to catch two touchdowns deep in 1-on-1 drills while going up against Walt Aikens, and he made a few more impressive catches as well.

I've reached the point where it's clear Grant is not a reliable returner, but as a niche player in the offense, he could give defenses fits.

Kenyan Drake finally got an opportunity to get first dibs with the starters, and he was given a few sizeable holes to run through to help him make a good first impression. He struggled to catch some tough passes that were slightly off-target, however, so not everything pointed to him being a shining star. Truth be told, the best thing that can happen at this point is for Drake to go against a different defense other than his own.

Tony Lippett hasn't had many opportunities with the first team this training camp, as most of the snaps have gone to veteran Byron Maxwell and second-year cornerback Xavien Howard. But that doesn't mean Lippett has been invisible, far from it. Lippett has been able to use his length to deflect some passes and prove that even though he isn't starting, he's turning into a fine cornerback, an excellent option for depth.

The Dolphins will take a day off on Wednesday before their matchup against the Falcons, and then later in the week, things will get started all over again. In the meantime prepare for the first preseason game on Thursday which will air on CBS 4.

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

It's been interesting monitoring the reaction of Dolphins fans to the signing of new quarterback Jay Cutler. Just as has always the case with Cutler, few fans are on the fence when it comes to opinions about him. Love him or hate him, he always gets a reaction.

As someone who lives in Chicago and watched almost every pass Cutler threw there, I think I can say with some confidence that the Dolphins did pretty well with this signing. They didn't have a lot of choice in terms of quarterbacks this late in the game and, truthfully, Cutler and Tannehill are almost the same guy statistically.

Cutler's career passer rating is 85.7 vs. Tannehill's 86.5, practically a dead heat. And it's not coincidence that both men had the best years of their careers under former Bears offensive coordinator and current Dolphins head coach Adam Gase. Cutler threw for 3,659 yards, 21 touchdowns and just 11 interceptions with Gase in 2015 and Tannehill tossed for 2,995 yards, 19 touchdowns and 12 picks in 13 games a season ago.

In particular, in drastic contrast to most of the rest of his career, Cutler was a model of consistency in 2015. He posted passer ratings of at least 88.4 in 10 of 12 starts including ratings of 151.0, 117.0, 100.5 and 100.2.

Dolphins fans would not be the first to ask why Cutler, a quarterback with a well-deserved reputation for being particularly difficult to manage, connects so well with Gase. In order to address that, you have to look at what Cutler's major problem was under other coaches.

I have contended for many years that it was the simple fact that Cutler has trust issues. He really doesn't trust anyone on or off the field. This has been historically evident evident in every aspect of Cutler's life where he even got cold feet and backed out of his engagement before evidently realizing he'd made a huge mistake and went through with marrying Kristin Cavallari.

But our business with Cutler is on the field where that lack of trust was evident in the way that he plays football. Cutler has always been a classic "see it, throw it" quarterback. He typically waits for receivers to come open, then uses his arm strength to try to force it in too them before the window closes.

This can work in the modern NFL but it only gets you so far and there is a ceiling for virtually every quarterback of this type. Good teams with good defensive backfields won't allow those open windows for enough time for anyone to be able to consistently fit the ball in.

For that reason, offensive coordinator after offensive coordinator tried desperately to get Cutler to throw with anticipation to his receivers. They had limited success primarily because Cutler never could bring himself to trust that the other players would be in the right place when he threw the ball. Inevitably, there would eventually be a mistake where Cutler threw to a spot and the receiver wasn't there. Interception. Have it happen a few more times and, poof, Cutler was back to waiting before throwing the ball.

The key to Gase's success where those others failed was that, somehow, like Cavallari, Gase persevered and got Cutler's faith to the point where he could actually execute the offense the way it was designed.

​In this respect, Gase's answer when asked the reason for Cutler's success in 2015 was interesting (the emphasis is mine).

​Bears veteran tight end Zach Miller recently expressed similar thoughts.

The results were evident in Cutler's play as receiver Eddie Royal stated quite accurately: “The word trust comes in. Sometimes the timing is not going to be there but you still have to play. You have to trust that the guy is going to be in that spot when you throw the ball. Jay has done a great job doing that, knowing where the guy is supposed to be and trusting that he is going to be there because a lot of throws are timing throws.”

Gase has a well-deserved reputation for adjusting to his players and playing to their strengths. His work with Cutler in 2015 took this to another level. Cutler is extremely intelligent but coaches by their very nature are micro-managers. Most of the best ones like to control every aspect of what goes on once players take the field. To give that up is extremely difficult but Gase did it to a larger extent than, evidently, anyone else Cutler had ever had to deal with and it paid off.

By trusting Cutler and giving him more control over his environment, Gase got Cutler to return that trust to the benefit of the entire offense and, indeed, the entire team. He threw the ball to the right spots. His turnovers dropped drastically. He was a different quarterback.

The Dolphins were extremely lucky to be able to pick up Cutler when they did and to have the right coach in place to take full advantage of his talent. Not many teams can survive the loss of their starting quarterback for an entire season. But if Gase can repeat what he did with Cutler in 2015 - and there's little reason to believe he can't - it seems evident that the Dolphins should be able to compete this season with little or no drop off at the quarterback position.

Bottom line, it's going to be alright, Dolphins fans. Trust me.

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

Monday morning marked the first day that veteran Jay Cutler was officially a Miami Dolphin. While he arrived at the facility, he didn't make it in time to practice, so, likely for the final time barring any horrible setbacks, Matt Moore took the snaps with the starting unit.

The players are heavily invested in Moore, the locker room respects him and views him as a leader. So this will be a true test of Adam Gase's ability to command a locker room, as they will no doubt be forced to accept the reality that Cutler will be the starting quarterback in 2017.

​But that's a bridge that will be crossed when we get there. For now, let's take a quick look at the storylines from Monday's session of training camp.

Yes, we're talking about Jakeem Grant again. One would think I'm obsessed with the miniature wide receiver from Texas Tech, but the fact of the matter is, it seems like every time he gets the ball in his hands, he makes something special happen.

He did so again Monday.

During a round of 11-on-11 scrimmage, Grant caught a short pass from former Western Kentucky standout Brandon Doughty, and he then proceeded to break the ankles of a charging defender, and outran everyone who went after him for a touchdown.

He caught another touchdown later on.

Grant is such a dynamic ball-carrier that it would be a crying shame if the Dolphins were unable to find a place on the roster for him. Yes he has struggles fielding punts, but as a wide receiver he has started to shine much brighter. If Miami is smart, which means if Gase is smart, they will find a way to put him on the 53-man roster.

While first round pick Charles Harris hasn't been making much of a showing this training camp, other rookies are making a strong case to earn the logos on their helmets.

The impact that Vincent Taylor has made with the second team has been well-documented thus far, constantly breaking through the offensive line and sacking QBs and tackling ball-carriers. Today, it was Davon Godchaux and Raekwon McMillan who flashed in practice.

In Godchaux's case, he flashed on two straight plays, first bursting through the offensive line against the starters and flushing Matt Moore out of the pocket and forcing a throwaway. Then on the next play, both Godchaux and McMillan were able to get behind the line of scrimmage and stop Damien Williams dead in his tracks on a handoff.

​With Godchaux pushing Jordan Phillips for a starting job, and McMillan all but confirmed as the Dolphins' starting middle linebacker, it's a good sign to see that these young rookies are balling out, as the defense will need all the depth it can get to compete in 2017.

While there's no mistaking the potential as a weapon that former Alabama speedster Kenyan Drake has to offer an offense, having put it all in display during his rookie season, there is a very distinct reason that Damien Williams has been getting the vast majority of starter snaps in scrimmage.

Williams is known for being a vastly superior pass-blocker compared to Drake, and that blocking ability was put on display during scrimmage Monday morning, as Williams picked up two blitzes - one from Reshad Jones, the other from Bobby McCain.

He's a well-rounded football player, and a very formidable running back, the only thing questionable about him - ironically enough - is his ability as a rusher. He can block, he can catch, but he's had limited success actually running the football, and that's what keeps him from getting multiple offers from other teams, in my opinion.

​Williams will be looking for a new deal from someone after next season, hopefully the Dolphins will be able to find a way to be the ones to give it to him as he is a valuable piece of the offense at this point.

Though he obviously didn't practice, Ryan Tannehill was spotted on the sidelines in a bucket hat and a knee brace as the team went through scrimmages, and he was walking as if nothing was wrong with him. This makes the reality sting more because he obviously isn't okay.

While there's still no official word on whether Tannehill will undergo further rehab or finally get the reconstruction surgery, the fact that the team went through with signing Jay Cutler indicates that coach Gase isn't about to let Tannehill jeopardize his career either way.

​I didn't think much of Jordan Westerkamp when the Dolphins picked him up, but ever since he arrived, he's been making tough catches and - quite honestly - being more impressive than Drew Morgan, who I earlier called "Griff Whalen 2.0." Westerkamp could eventually move up on the chart if he continues to flash, but first he'll have to show something in the preseason.

The Miami Dolphins will play their first preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday night, and that will give us all a first-hand look at what the team can do against another team.

At last, a real litmus test.

But first, the team will go through one last practice on Tuesday, and we will see if Jay Cutler shows up on the practice field, and if so, what he can do.

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

The Miami Dolphins have signed veteran quarterback Jay Cutler in light of the situation surrounding Ryan Tannehill, giving the Dolphins a proverbial lottery ticket as they try to push for a playoff repeat with arguably the most talented roster they have had in years.

Cutler, 34, had initially retired from the NFL to start a broadcasting career, after no teams were willing to give him a starting position and the cash to go along with it. Once Tannehill went down, however, his favorite coach Adam Gase contacted him and asked him to return to help salvage the 2017 season.

While this writer doesn't see Cutler as an upgrade from Tannehill by any means, he will be a better quarterback than Matt Moore, though it remains to be seen if he will be worth the $10 million dollar price tag.

Head coach Adam Gase handpicked Cutler for the job due to the connection they shared during their one season together in Chicago, and it was that connection that ultimately made Cutler the favorite over another option in free agent Colin Kaepernick, who may be a superior athlete, would have to learn a brand new playbook very quickly.

Cutler has the advantage of having experience playing in an Adam Gase offense.

As a big-armed quarterback, Cutler will have a plethora of weapons to choose from with Kenny Stills, DeVante Parker and Jarvis Landry to throw to, as well as large tight end Julius Thomas and catching running backs Damien Williams and Kenyan Drake.

The only question will be the offensive line, which is still iffy even this close to the season. It will be interesting to see if this $10 million investment will pan out for the Miami Dolphins.

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

Saturday the Miami Dolphins traveled to Hard Rock Stadium for their official scrimmage before their first preseason game on Thursday against the Atlanta Falcons, and as expected, several of the team's veteran players sat out for precautionary reasons.

Ndamukong Suh, Cameron Wake, Kenny Stills and Laremy Tunsil just to name a few, but all of this is a wise precaution as the team has already lost too many key players to injury so far. While Jay Ajayi will eventually return from his concussion, it's unlikely at this point that Ryan Tannehill will play in 2017, especially if the team goes through with signing Jay Cutler.

​So with several players sitting, others got the opportunity to try and shine in front of a plethora of Dolphins fans (and one Jets fan that I saw on the way out), and here is what caught my eye.

As I stated in the last report, and as everyone knows by now, Matt Moore is an up and down quarterback. He is really good or really bad and there's no telling when things will flip-flop with him. It happened again during the scrimmage, as Moore threw a touchdown and a pick-six to Xavien Howard, who jumped a route and cut off the pass intended for DeVante Parker.

After that it was all Brandon Doughty and David Fales, who each had their own struggles, but Moore - until Cutler signs - is the starter, and we have to evaluate him as such.

​His gunslinger mentality will likely manifest itself more solidly when the bullets are live and a different team's defense is facing him, but for now, we'll have to hope that Moore can find a way to use his gunslinger mentality while still avoiding ill-advised passes.

As much as I'm rooting for the miniature wide receiver from Texas Tech, I cannot help but acknowledge that his inability to properly field kicks and punts is greatly hindering his chances of making the roster for a second year in a row.

But as I was writing this section, a thought occurred to me that prompted me to change the message a little bit. While Grant is indeed having problems fielding kicks, which arrive above him, he has been solid catching passes as a wide receiver, and that could be his ticket.

​Grant's speed and ability to avoid defenders (when he can keep his footing) is unique, but it's possible he just won't be able to get the hand-eye coordination he needs to field punts...but if he can be used in a Darren Sproles-like role (which I have been begging for forever), then that would allow the Dolphins to still use his skillset while allowing someone more sure-handed to take care of the returning duties.

While I would like to say it was an exciting day of scrimmage, the truth is it was underwhelming. Malcolm Lewis shined once making a nice catch (and then he had to go to the locker room), Vincent Taylor broke through the offensive line and got a would-be sack on David Fales, and of course Xavien Howard made an impressive interception off of Matt Moore.

But other than that, there was very little to report. The news is fully invested in any incoming information about Ryan Tannehill and the talks between the franchise and Jay Cutler. Until we get some kind of answer on those situations, there really won't be much to do.

This upcoming Thursday, the Dolphins will face off against the Falcons in their first preseason game, and hopefully by then we'll have a better idea of the direction the team is going to go in.

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

Music was blaring a lot more often during the ninth day of training camp, no doubt in an attempt to breathe some life into a football team dealing with the emotional hangover that comes with learning that it's very possible their starting quarterback could undergo season-ending knee surgery before the season even begins.

For me, it was - admittedly - difficult to get into the swing of things as I fought to come to terms with the reality of the situation. There is a reason that young sports reporters are advised to not cover the team they are a fan of, and this is precisely it.

Nevertheless, as I said in the last report, the show must go on, and the season isn't over just because Tannehill may or may not even play in 2017. I have always said that there's more to a team than the quarterback, and that philosophy remains intact now.

With that said, let's get a quick look at some of the storylines from Day 9 of Dolphins training camp.

I would like to be able to remove the "so far" from this title, but past evidence indicates that Moore will have just as many downs as ups. So far, Moore is doing a good job filling in for Tannehill, but something that must be kept in mind is that the offense is not taking many chances as a whole in camp, this is not merely a result of a quarterback switch.

Moore has been - and always will be, for better or worse - a gunslinger quarterback. He doesn't think about where the ball is going to end up, he just fires away and expects someone in the right color jersey to come down with it.
Slight exaggeration perhaps, but the mentality is fact.

Moore will take chances, Moore will get lucky, but he will also get unlucky. That is just the reality of the situation. Will the Dolphins give Jay Cutler the job on a silver platter (and the cash to go with it) like he wants? That remains to be seen.

I personally would just roll with Moore at this point.

​For now, Moore is looking solid as the team's starter, but that could change quickly. Just hope it doesn't.

While it would be nice to focus solely on silver linings, something that unfortunately caught my attention was when Charles Harris was working against the offensive linemen on the far field. Armed with a pair of binoculars, I watched the trench play unfold and what I saw wasn't encouraging.

Harris, who is notorious for having a spin move, was trying to get by the offensive linemen he was going against, but his spin move just wasn't getting the job done. Veteran backup Sam Young was able to maneuver his hands and keep the whirling dervish that was Harris in front of him, effectively neutralizing him.

Then Harris went against undrafted free agent offensive tackle Eric Smith, and he was walled again, then Jake Brendel put him on the ground. Clearly, Harris has some developing to do, more than just in setting the edge. He'll have to develop more pass rush move than his usual spin move if he wants to be an effective pass-rusher in the NFL.

There is certainly something to work with there, Harris has a lot of potential, but he will likely be somewhat limited in what he can offer at the start of his career.

Speaking of Jake Brendel, the Miami Dolphins may have gotten lucky and found a diamond in the rough in former Cowboys undrafted free agent Jake Brendel. With veteran Ted Larsen set to miss several weeks with a torn bicep, someone is needed to take over his spot.

The name Nick Mangold - a solid veteran who was cut by the New York Jets - has been floated around among the fanbase, but perhaps the solution is closer than we think.

Brendel was signed to the practice squad late last season and was added to the active roster on November 16th, and he has been in the rotation to try and compete for the primary backup position at center, but he's also been rotated in at LG along with Anthony Steen, and from what I can tell, Brendel has been overall more solid than Steen in practice.

This is good news.

With the offensive line - once again - in flux, getting lucky with Brendel would be a real shot in the arm for a team that's low on morale after the possible loss of their starting QB for the season.

Saturday morning will be the live scrimmage at Hard Rock Stadium, and of course, I will be there giving a play by play on everything that goes on.

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

Day 8 of training camp has caused a severe deflation that would make Tom Brady and the New England Patriots proud. What was turning out to be one of the most promising starts to a season ever, quickly went down the drain as the news of Ryan Tannehill going down to the ground simply from planting his left leg awkwardly.

It's hard to imagine that the season isn't actually over - in fact it hasn't even started - but the reality is that in the NFL, anything can change at any time, including the Miami Dolphins possibly losing their starting quarterback on what is - conveniently - Tom Brady's 40th birthday.

But, as depressing as it is to think about, the show must go on, and Adam Gase is no doubt already preparing to enter the season with Matt Moore as the starter if the worst case scenario becomes reality. So if Gase isn't willing to throw in the towel, he's earned the benefit of the doubt, so let's take a look at some other storylines first.

Before we can go into the current Dolphins on the roster, we need to address this and get it out of the way. There are options for Miami to explore to potentially replace Tannehill, or at the very least act as an equal-caliber backup to Moore.

Names being circulated include two recently retired veteran QBs in Tony Romo and Jay Cutler. Romo, at 38 years old and a history of back problems, is an excellent QB when healthy, but he is rarely ever healthy, and that in itself is the problem. Also, he'll be commentating on the Hall of Fame game on Thursday night.

So, it's unlikely Romo will get a call.

Cutler on the other hand, has had success under Adam Gase during his time in Chicago, as he reached a career high in quarterback rating in 2015, and Cutler himself credited Gase and his offensive genius for giving his career a brief revitalization. Cutler has also retired to the broadcast booth, so to bring him back to the field would require some coaxing.

As for Kaepernick, he's arguably the best raw athlete out of all these QBs, but he carries with him the PR nightmare that is his political stance. If you agree with him, you're a traitor to the country, if you disagree with him, you're a racist. There's no in-between.

But in any case, Kaepernick would require time to learn the offense, which means Matt Moore would still be the starter at the opening of the season if Tannehill's knee is determined to require surgery. Ultimately, it boils down to Tannehill's knee, which will be the deciding factor. But recent news indicates that there is still hope.

During the last practice, rookie DT Davon Godchaux was called up to the first-team when veteran Ndamukong Suh was given a rest day. But instead of going back to the second-team, Godchaux once again was lined up when the starters came on, but in place of Jordan Phillips this time.

Phillips has had a reputation for not having a "high motor," and one has to wonder if Godchaux's repeat appearance with the starters is an indicator that Gase is tired of Phillips not showing much in practice. If this is indeed the case, Godchaux made a good impression again today, as he was able to break through the blocking and stop Damien Williams behind the line of scrimmage.

The depth on the defensive line has been in question since Earl Mitchell was released, and many were wondering who would emerge as the team's third DT. But if Godchaux can somehow impress Adam Gase enough that he takes over as the starter next to Suh, that turns Phillips into a backup, which is far from a bad situation.

WR Malcolm Lewis has been impressive in training camp, making plays whenever he gets the opportunity, which may make him the new "Rashawn Scott" of 2017. Lewis also has special teams potential, which could earn him a spot on the roster if this continues.

Amidst the drama of Ryan Tannehill's knee tweak, another injury went unnoticed. Offensive lineman Ted Larsen, who was signed earlier this offseason, is feared to have torn his bicep, which will keep him out of several regular season games. As he was projected to be the team's starting left guard, there is now a gaping hole in the line, and it will take some doing to fill it.

Other than the drama of the injury to Tannehill, there wasn't much to see. Chase Allen had a tip drill interception, the defensive line did a fair job stopping the run, and the passing game - despite no Tannehill - was able to move the chains.

At this point, there isn't much to think about other than what the fate of Tannehill will be. If he requires surgery, the season isn't over, but it will be a lot harder to find success than what was initially projected.

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

Day 7? What happened to Day 6? Well on Tuesday morning, the practice was closed off to the public and media so technically speaking, there's a day missing that only the Dolphins know about. For all we know, Ryan Tannehill had the best practice of his career and we'll never hear about it.

Them's the breaks.

So on Day 7, the Dolphins revealed that Jay Ajayi was out with a concussion for the time being, and Reshad Jones had been taken off the NFI list, making him eligible to practice once more, which he did, and he made a stop on defense typical of his skills.

​Though today wasn't particularly exciting, there were some things that stood out. Here are just a few storylines.

Every year there seems to be a story where the head coach tells Ryan Tannehill to stop thinking so much and just throw it. "Let it rip" said coach Adam Gase this offseason, prompting a brief moment of nostalgia for me - having watched the original Beyblade trilogy growing up, but giving the rest of the Dolphins fandom to give a collective eye-roll that this is a thing again.

But it's worth stating regardless. Earlier in camp, fans continually griped over the perceived "conservatism" Tannehill showed in his decision-making. No deep throws, no tough windows, just finding the open man and many, many throws in the flat, which there have been.

But keep in mind, this is precisely what training camp is for. Getting timing down and ensuring that the team is ready to move the chains without needing to rely on deep balls and Jay Ajayi breaking six tackles.

That said, Tannehill is attempting more chancy throws, his first play from scrimmage being a line drive to Kenny Stills in the endzone for a touchdown, and then a few plays, he rolled out and found Anthony Fasano for another one.

​In all, Tannehill threw for a total of three touchdowns (the third one to a wide open Jarvis Landry in the endzone) and no interceptions, and the offense as a whole had a much better day than the past few practices. If Tannehill has really found the balance between aggressive and conservative, that bodes well for 2017.

After I made a brief joke regarding the fact that Cameron Wake and Ndamukong Suh were getting rest days because of their age (that's not why they were resting, for the record), my notifications lit up with people adding on to the joke, stating they were going to ask for days off for being old as well.

Good to know Dolphins fans are in good humor.

In any case, with Wake and Suh resting, and Jay Ajayi in the NFL's concussion protocol, other players got an opportunity to show what they could do with higher units.

With Suh out, rookie Davon Godchaux got the call-up (over Vincent Taylor, who I've noticed flash a lot more, oddly enough) and worked alongside Jordan Phillips, while running backs Damien Williams and Kenyan Drake rotated in and out with the starters.

Williams - for his part - got the edge on Drake and got first dibs whenever scrimmages began, most likely due to his superiority in the field of pass-blocking. That pattern may continue as camp continues and Ajayi recovers from his mild concussion.

Veteran William Hayes got more snaps at defensive end with Wake resting, and he did a fantastic job setting the edge and getting into the backfield to wreak havoc.

The team has been relatively lucky so far when it comes to injuries, with Ajayi only suffering a mild concussion and will likely be available for the regular season, but this should serve as a warning for the Dolphins not to push their stars too hard.

As previously stated, Reshad Jones returned to practice and made a few stops on defense, giving the Dolphins back one of their best assets in the secondary. His support against the run will be indispensable in the season, so seeing Jones back is encouraging.

Brandon Doughty was drafted in the seventh round of the 2016 NFL draft, and he started off strong enough to get the attention of the fans - including myself - and lead them to believe that he could eventually challenge Ryan Tannehill, or at the very least overtake Matt Moore as the backup.

But this year at camp, Doughty has struggled somewhat, while - ironically enough - veteran QB David Fales is actually performing better with the scout team than Doughty. Adam Gase is familiar with Fales from his brief time in Chicago, but it remains to be seen whether the team will be willing to keep three QBs and whether they're willing to accept the slight salary raise from Doughty to Fales.

Tomorrow there will be yet another practice, and as usual I will be there to do the live tweeting. Stay tuned for all the latest.

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

Back in March, the Miami Dolphins made a pair of trades with the Jacksonville Jaguars that ultimately brought Julius Thomas and a conditional seventh round draft pick to Miami. But then a plot twist happened on Monday, as veteran offensive tackle Branden Albert - the player the Jaguars received - suddenly decided to retire from the NFL.

Whether it was a reaction to the fact that Dante Fowler was easily able to bring him down, his age and health, or perhaps even the fact that his quarterback Blake Bortles threw five interceptions in practice and demoralized him, Albert will not be the Jaguars' left tackle at the beginning of the season, and will instead move back to Miami to conduct his business from here on out.

​Due to his retirement, the Dolphins will lose the 2018 seventh-round draft pick they acquired from the Jaguars

Albert played in 120 games for the Kansas City Chiefs and the Miami Dolphins, starting all but two of them. He was also voted to two Pro Bowls.

Classy to the end, Albert released a statement thanking the organizations who gave him a chance to play nine seasons in the NFL.

When the Dolphins found out that Albert had suddenly hung up his cleats after nine seasons in the NFL, members of the team briefly discussed the former Pro Bowler and what he meant to them, and it's clear that despite his earlier departure from Miami, the veteran left tackle was still held in very high regard.

"I was privileged to spend a few years with the guy." said Dolphins star pass-rusher Cameron Wake. "(He’s a) tremendous football player (and an) even better man. One of the guys who we always go back and forth (with on the field). I think we looked up to one another as far as being in the game for as long as we have and going through the things we had to (in order) to stay at the top for as long as we could. For him to be able to be able to have the career that he had and also be able to bow out on his own terms, my hat is off to him and I wish him the best.”

Current Dolphins head coach Adam Gase also made a statement regarding Albert's retirement, despite the somewhat odd fact that he was left out of the veteran player's official retirement statement.

“My respect level for him is extremely high. Even his career before he got here, he was an outstanding player and then him getting hurt … I didn’t understand really what he had to go through until I got here and his makeup and his ability to come back from that injury, just talking to trainers about what he did to be able to play again.

"That was even in question when that happened. It went from all accounts that I’ve been told that it was about as nasty as you can get. It just shows the toughness he has. The mental strength to be able to fight through and really prove everybody wrong and then come back and play at a high level and going to a Pro Bowl, being part of a team that he helped really get to the playoffs last year, getting injured and then coming back probably earlier than most guys would have, and him actually almost inspiring guys to play through a lot of injuries that most teams probably wouldn’t see guys out there.

"Guys were just trying to do everything they can for each other to win. I think he was a big part of the reason why we had success last year.”

There's no question that Albert left a big mark on the Dolphins franchise during his three year tenure. He was a perfect example of a leader and team player, even willing to mentor then-rookie Laremy Tunsil, who everyone - including Albert - knew would become the team's franchise left tackle.

Albert meant a lot to a lot of people in the Dolphins franchise, and he will be missed in the NFL. We all wish him luck in his future endeavors.

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