NFL 2006: Miami Dolphins

Nick Saban begins year two with fresh faces and a new offensive coordinator in Mike Mularkey. The former Bills coach replaces the late Scott Linehan, the new head coach of the St. Louis Rams. Optimism reigns supreme in Miami when Saban turned a 3-13 team last year to 9-7 last season. With the return of a veteran cast, along with key free agent picks, many feel the Dolphins are legitimate playoff contenders in 2006.

Offense: The biggest acquisition of the offseason was the acquisition of Daunte Culpepper from the Minnesota Vikings. Gone is Gus Frerotte, who did a respectable job as a starter last season and enters Culpepper. There is no question that when healthy, Culpepper is one of the best in the game. But a devastating knee injury, in which he sustained damage to three ligaments, may keep him out of the field on opening day.

To correct that problem, the Dolphins traded for Joey Harrington (2,021 yards, 12 touchdowns), who exhausted his welcome in Detroit. The former No. 2 overall pick hasn’t lived up to his draft status, but he could be reborn with Saban in Miami. Either way, it will be a fitting endorsement and improvement over Sage Rosenfels.

Ricky Williams was suspended again so he took his papers and bong to Canada for a year. Never mind, sophomore Ronnie Brown will have the reins for the lead role and he should do well. The Auburn standout rushed for 907 yards and four touchdowns splitting time with Ricky last season. Travis Minor will be his main endorsement. Fred Beasley didn’t leave his heart in San Francisco and will help Brown immensely at fullback. Beasley has decent hands and is a solid blocker.

The Dolphins have two good starters, but not much depth after that at wide receiver. Chris Chambers (82-1,118-11) had a great year last season and Marty Booker is a solid number two. Behind them, rookies Derek Hagan and Devin Aromashodu will be asked to play key roles.

Randy McMichael is one of the best receiving tight ends in the game and he proved it again last season with 60 receptions and five TDs. Justin Peele was brought in from San Diego to be a blocker in race situations.

There is a lot of competition on the offensive line and this is where the liveliest battles will take place. Rex Hadnot is the starting center, but Seth McKinney is returning from injury and will challenge. Free agent Bennie Anderson (Bills) will team up with returner Jeno James as guard, but McKinney could also land here. Vernon Carey and Damion McIntosh return at tackle but free agents LJ Shelton (Browns) and Mike Pearson (Jaguars) are also in the mix.

Defense: This is an aging defense even with Junior Seau out, particularly on the line. Timeless wonder Jason Taylor (12 sacks) and Kevin Carter (six sacks) return as defensive end, but look for energy-packed Matt Roth for even more playing time in 2006. Vonnie Holliday (five sacks) and Keith Traylor are the tackles with Jeff Zgonina providing a proper backup. Manuel Wright and rookie Rodrique Wright provide youthful legs.

Zach Thomas continues to defy parental time and looks to put another outstanding season on the charts. Thomas led the team with 166 tackles from his center linebacker spot and shows no signs of slowing down. On the outside, rising star Channing Crowder (90 tackles) could have a great year and Donnie Spragan is solid, if not spectacular. Eddie Moore is a quality endorsement.

The high school is in a state of flux after a turbulent offseason. Gone are safety Lance Shulters and corners Sam Madison and Reggie Howard. Travis Daniels will take one spot in the corner, while Will Allen (Giants), signed as a free agent, Renaldo Hill (Raiders) and Andre Goodman (Lions) will compete for the other. Tavaris Tillman returns with a strong safety, while Yeremiah Bell and No. 1 pick in the draft, Jason Allen, will battle for the free safety spot.

Special teams: Olindo Mare had another great season, scoring 108 points on 25-30 shots from the field and 33-33 in extra points. You can’t find many better or more consistent than him. Donnie Jones is looking to improve on his solid 43.5 yards per punt last season and Wes Welker is an exciting comeback player (22.6 KR; 9.1 PR).

Outlook: Nick Saban is one of the best young coaches in the business and will have the Dolphins fighting for a playoff spot. Culpepper’s injury situation, along with an aging defense and instability in the secondary, will prevent them from overtaking New England in the division.

Prediction: Saban has pulled Miami out of the basement and restored trust in the fans, the city and the team. The Dolphins are still a couple of pieces away from being a serious contender, but a wild-card spot is not out of the question in 2006. Miami finishes 9-7 or 10-6.