Ronnie Brown on the Trading Block?

The Miami Dolphins put together an epic turn-around for their franchise in 2008, following a season where they went 1-15 the Dolphins wildcatted their way to an 11-5 record and a playoff berth.

One of the main reasons for their success in '08 was the play of running back Ronnie Brown, but Michael Lombardi of nationalfootballpost.com is reporting that Brown does not fit Dan Henning's offense and the Dolphins "might be interested" in shopping his services.

Brown is signed through 2010, at base salaries of $3.6 million this year and $5 million next year. If the Dolphins were to move Brown this may be the time as his stock couldn't be hotter, following his performance last season.

In 2008, Brown rushed for 916 yards and 10 TD's while splitting time with Ricky Williams, he was also the centerpiece of the Dolphins' "Wildcat" offense, which took the league by storm.

If a trade were to take place, the Dolphins would need to find a replacement for Brown, likely a mid-round pick, or perhaps West Virginia QB Pat White, who would an excellent hybrid/wildcat type player.

Scott Pioli Loves Old Linebackers, Signs Zach Thomas

Scott Pioli is bringing a little bit of that New England flavor to Kansas City, it started with the trade that netted him Mike Vrabel, and now he has signed another older LB in Zach Thomas. Terms of the contract were not revealed.

Thomas turns 36 in September, but he has made seven trips to the Pro Bowl in his 13 NFL seasons. His most recent Pro Bowl season came in 2006 with Miami, but Thomas started 14 games last year in his first season with Dallas.

A former fifth-round pick by Miami out of Texas Tech in 1996, Thomas immediately became a starter for the Dolphins. He has been extremely durable, missing only 24 games in his career because of injury, the only exception being 2007 when Thomas played only 5 games and ended the season on IR due to reoccuring migraines.

According to NFL.com, Thomas has 1,076 career tackles to go along with 20.5 sacks and 17 Ints, 4 of which he returned for TD's.

Taylor Excited About Patriots Talk

Former Dolphin and Redskin DE Jason Taylor is currently unemployed, but busy pimping his Hollywood image. Taylor was spotted Sunday night on the red carpet of an event for the Jason Taylor Foundation at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

Taylor was speaking about his future in the NFL and his possible landing spots, spots that didn't rule out the Miami Dolphins, the team for which he played 11-seasons.

"Absolutely. There's no reason I wouldn't." But he also noted "I'm the wrong person to talk to about that. I sign one line on the contract, and the other guy signs the other line." Taylor said.

There is another owner who has already hinted at the idea of getting Taylor's autograph on a contract. Patriots owner Robert Kraft speaking Tuesday at the NFL owners' meeting in Dana Point, Calif., was asked about the possibility of signing Taylor.

"Great player," Kraft exclaimed, "I'm sure that can happen if he wants it."

Taylor is looking to bounce back from a dissapointing 2008, where he left Miami for the greener pastures of Washington. He played 13 games and started only eight while battling a strange calf injury that required emergency surgery to drain blood. He finished with 37 tackles and 3½ sacks.

"I took a lot of heat last year for the lack of productivity, and the injuries and whatnot, but after you play in a certain system and a certain situation for 11 years and make the Pro Bowl six times, then they tell you now play the other side, it doesn't always work that way. We couldn't find that mix last year."

Taylor, who will turn 35 in September, was definitive that he will play somewhere, but claimed he had no timetable to make a decision. He also stated "it's not about the money. I walked away from the money in D.C.". Taylor has had success, has made his money, has played in Pro Bowls, but he is still searching for that elusive Super Bowl.

"My main focus right now is spending time with the kids and the family, being back down here in Florida," Taylor said. "The rest of that will work itself out. It's got to be the right situation, beneficial for both team and myself, whatever team that is. I look forward to finding one, so I can get back to work, get with the program and keep going."

Dolphins Trade Satele to Raiders

The Miami Dolphins have been busy improving their offensive line this offseason, before free agency started the brought back last seasons starting right tackle Vernon Carey and earlier this month they added free agent center Jake Grove to compete for the starting center position.

The Dolphins just made Grove's push to win the starting center battle that much easier by trading last seasons starter Samson Satele to the Oakland Raiders, ironically Groves former team, for undisclosed draft choices.

Satele has started all 32 games in his career, since being drafted by the Miami Dolphins, but apparently did not fit Bill Parcells and his "yes man" head coach Tony Sporano's system.

Grove, the 29-year old out of Virginia Tech. has played his entire 5-year career in Oakland and has started 46 of his 54 career games, but has struggled with injuries his whole career and has played in a full 16 game season only once in his career (2006).

49ers Add Two More

The San Francisco 49ers were busy on Wednesday, signing two players, LB Takeo Spikes rejoins the team and QB Damon Huard comes over from Kansas City.

Spikes signed a two-year, $6 Million deal to return to the 49ers, the team who signed him during the preseason last summer. The 11-year pro was a productive tackler and a valuable leader who finished second on the team with 96 tackles and 3 interceptions, while playing alongside Pro Bowl linebacker Patrick Willis.

Huard, is a 12-year pro and career back-up to players like Miami's Dan Marino and New England's Tom Brady. The 35 year old, who played his college ball at Washington has started 27 career games, he has completed 60.7% of his passes for 6,303 yards 33 TD's and 26 Int's. Terms of his contract were not revealed.

Dolphins Add C Grove

The Miami Dolphins have signed C Jake Grove to a five-year contract worth $30 million.

A second-round choice in the 2004 draft, Grove has started at both center and guard for the Raiders, the for which he has played all of his 5 seasons. He is expected to compete with Samson Satele for the starting center position.

Several injuries have slowed the career of the former Virginia Tech standout, and he has had a hard time staying on the field, making double digit starts only twice in his career.

Broncos Keep Collecting

The Denver Broncos have added another player through free agency, they are not signing the biggest name or flashiest players but they are attempting to improve their team with sheer volume.

Denver and CB Andre’ Goodman agreed Sunday night to a five-year, $25 Million contract that includes over $10 Million in guaranteed money.

The seven year veteran started all 16 gmaes last season for the Dolphins and led the team with 5 interceptions.

Broncos Sign Hill for Four Years

The Denver Broncos have signed former Miami Dolphin free safety Renaldo Hill to a 4-year, $10 Million contract with $3 Million guaranteed.

Hill, 30, an eight-year veteran, played his last three seasons in Miami, after stints in Oakland and Arizona.

In his 8 year career Hill has 474 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 15 int's and 1 TD.

Dolphins Bring Back Berger

The Miami Dolphins decided to bolster their offensive line with a familiar face by signing Joe Berger, his agent Thomas Tafelski confirmed.

Berger, originally a sixth-round pick by the Carolina Panthers in 2005, will provide the Dolphins with depth at guard and center, while pushing Samson Satele for the starting spot.

The 6-foot-5, 304-pound Berger spent parts of the 2005-06 season with the Dolphins, but spent more time on a stationary bicycle rehabilitating a foot injury. He only played three games with the Dolphins before being released during the 2006 season.

Safety Wilson Signs in Miami

Recently released by the Oakland Raiders, safety Gibril Wilson was scooped up today by the Miami Dolphins, who are getting a head start on free agency. Terms of the contract were not released.

Wilson finished last season as Oakland's second-leading tackler with 129. Wilson, 27, spent his first four seasons with the New York Giants and was a starter on the team that defeated New England in Super Bowl XLII. His release from Oakland came as a surprise as he was signed to a six-year, $39 million contract in March 2008.

The Wilson signing is the third major personnel move Miami has already made this offseason. Within the past week, the franchise also inked right tackle Vernon Carey and linebacker Channing Crowder to multiyear contract extensions.

Coles Renegotiates Contract, Loses $6M and Becomes Free Agent

Laveranues Coles did the almost unthinkable in these tough times, he walked away from a guaranteed $6 million payday this year in hopes of receiving a long-term deal in free agency. He had hoped to secure the long term contract with the Jets but when it became evident that was not going to happen, Coles and the team reached a compromise Wednesday that allowed him to restructure his deal and become a free agent on Friday, a team spokesman said.

Coles, a 31-year-old wide receiver, spent seven of his nine NFL seasons with the Jets (He spent the 2003 and 2004 seasons in Washington), but his production has declined in recent years.
He has had one 1,000-yard season in his last five years and he has sustained multiple concussions.

Coles had hoped to retire as a Jet. But when he approached the team about a contract extension last off-season, threatening to sit out the off-season program if he did not get it, the team instead guaranteed the final two years of his contract for a total of $11 million.

Again this offseason Coles approached the Jets for a contract extension, the team balked, and Coles agreed to leave the $6 million he was due this season on the table in exchange for the Jets’ restructuring his contract to allow him to go elsewhere when free agency opens on Friday. The Jets, who would have been on the hook for the money if they had released Coles, saved $6 Million off the salary cap.

The restructuring appears initially as a win-win, assuming Coles signs on with another team. The door still remains open that Coles could return to the Jets, although it seams unlikely.

“I have had the pleasure of getting to know Laveranues since he entered the league in 2000,” General Manager Mike Tannenbaum said in a statement. “He is a fierce competitor, a great teammate and a good friend who has always given his best to the New York Jets. I spoke with him today and expressed my appreciation for his contributions both on and off the field. This move will allow Laveranues to explore his options, and we both agreed to keep the lines of communication open.”

Look for Coles to catch on with Miami and reunite with good friend and Dolphins' QB Chad Pennington.

Crowder Shocks Everyone and Re-Ups with Dolphins

Dolphins LB Channing Crowder spent last week preparing for free agency, saying he wanted to see what his market value was, apperently the only market he was interested was in Miami.

Crowder decided, after receiving advice from former teammate Zach Thomas, to stay with the city that drafted him and signed a 3 year contract to remain a Dolphin.

''I love Miami,'' Crowder said. ``So I basically told [agent] Joel [Segal] that if we could get to some numbers where everybody is happy, let's pull the trigger.''

Segal and Crowder had hoped initially for a longer deal but were to stay in Miami, because that means that Crowder can continue playing for coach Tony Sparano and linebackers coach George Edwards.

Crowder, who calls Edwards ''the best assistant in the NFL, period,'' said he began hearing from more and more of the former Dolphins players that he respects that he should consider working toward a way to remain with Miami.

Recently, he had long discussions with former Dolphins nose tackle and close friend Keith Traylor, who played for six different teams during his NFL career. Traylor, like Thomas, told Crowder not to get caught up in the hype of free agency simply for the money.

''As good as we did last year, I've had three head coaches in four years,'' Crowder said. ``But now, I know the system. I know the defensive scheme. I know who my linebacker coach and my defensive coordinator will be. Now, I can just build on that. Now, I can maximize my talent. It's time for me to become a Pro Bowler.''

Vernon Carey will Carry on his Career in Miami

Vernon Carey and Jake Long will hold down the Dolphins' offensive tackle positions for the next few years. The Dolphins signed Carey to a six-year, $42 Million deal, with a reported $15 Million guaranteed.

Carey, 27, has started 59 straight games for the Dolphins helps to solidify the perimeter positions on the offensive line, with Carey, the team's first-round pick in 2004 out of Miami, at right tackle and Long, who started 16 games and played in the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2008, on the left side.

The deal comes a day after the Dolphins chose not to place the franchise tag on Carey, which would have locked him up for one year for $8.45 million.

Crowder Preparing for Free Agency

Dolphins LB Channing Crowder is preparing himself for free agency and preparing to play for a team other than the Miami Dolphins. He gets the impression he won't be back in Miami based on conversations he has had with general manager Jeff Ireland and vice-president of football operations Bill Parcells.

"They said, 'Well, we want to see what your market value is, and see where it goes from there,'" Crowder said. "So hopefully it does get real, real high and they have to match something high, but we'll see when free agency comes around."

Crowder finished second on the team last season with a career-high 114 tackles. The former Florida Gators star has spent his entire four-year NFL career with the Dolphins.

"They did have the whole season to re-sign me, and they really didn't want to talk about anything, so maybe they didn't like me as a player or whatever it was," Crowder said. "If they want to get into a bidding battle with somebody, that means they really didn't want me anyway. I want to play football next year, and I'm confident I can play in the NFL, so I'll play football next year and hopefully it's with the Dolphins. But if it's with somebody else, I know I can play football. They had the first crack at it and they dropped the ball, so we'll see what other teams do. It's their loss."

McChesney Didn't Have to Wait Long

Offensive lineman Matt McChesney who was released Feb. 11th by the Miami Dolphins, didn't have to wait very long to find work, being signed by the Denver Broncos less than 24 hours later.

The Broncos made another roster move by releasing rotational defensive tackle Josh Shaw, after a 2008 season where he produced 5 tackles.

Dolphins Cut Two

The Miami Dolphins have cut two players today, both of whom ended the season on IR. Kelvin Smith a 7th round pick of the Dolphins in 2007, out of Syracuse. The linebacker has one career tackle on his resume in 4 games.

Joining Smith on the unemployment line will be G Matt McChesney, undrafted out of Colorado in 2005 is a converted defensive tackle has 3 tackles in 3 career games, which came in 2005 with the New York Jets.

Tuna Will Swim with the Dolphins in 2009

In an interview Friday with ESPN, Dolphins executive vice president of football operations Bill Parcells said he is committed to staying with the team for the 2009 season.

''I'm going to be with Miami until I feel that the team is in position and [general manager Jeff Ireland and coach Tony Sparano] have enough experience that they can handle it,'' Parcells said

Parcells helped the Dolphins, who were 1-15 in 2007 before he arrived, earn a record of 11-5 and a playoff berth in just one season. But Bill is not yet satisfied, saying that yes the record improved but they still lost in the first round of the playoffs. "We have a lot to do in Miami. We need a lot more guys.''

Rookie left tackle headed to Pro Bowl

Miami Dolphins offensive left tackle Jake Long will end his rookie season by playing in the Pro Bowl as a replacement for Buffalo's Jason Peters. For the full story click here.

Dolphins sale to be official.

Wayne Huizenga has agreed to complete the sale to Stephen Ross in a deal that would give Ross 95 percent ownership in the franchise and leave Huizenga with 5 percent. For the full story Click Here.

CFL Star Heading South

Miami Dolphins sign CFL Defensive Player of the Year Cameron Wake formally of the B.C. Lions.
Wake, who visited the Dolphins last week, signed a four-year deal reportedly worth about $4.9 million that includes a $1 million signing bonus. For the full story click here.