The Dolphins' front office has reportedly, recently returned from vacation. It hasn't taken them long to get back to work. The National Football Post is reporting that fifth-round pick Reshad Jones has agreed to a four-year, $1.95 million deal, with a signing bonus worth $160,000.

Jones is expected to ink his signature to the contract today, which would leave only Jared Odrick, Koa Misi, and John Jerry unsigned. With the way this regime swiftly works through rookie negotiations though, I'm still expecting all to sign before camp opens up in a little under three weeks.

Jones meanwhile, will look to make some noise when the pads come on, as he had a relatively quiet spring of workouts. He is projected to start camp as the second team free safety, but will look to unseat Chris Clemons, who has received high-praise from his OTA work.

It will be interesting to see if Jones can make it much of a competition at all, as it currently appears to be Clemons' job to lose. Will that mean Jones eventually moves to strong safety, where he seems to be a more logical fit, or will free safety be his permanent home? I guess only time will tell.

In the spirit of thinking outside of the box, I thought I would put together a little piece highlighting a few factors that the Dolphins ultimately have no control over, but could make or break their season.

A team's sole focus is always to take care of their own business and not worry about what other teams are doing. As fans though, there's no harm in snooping around the league, and recognizing some interesting happenings that are unfolding, that could impact the Dolphins.

So what are some of these story lines to keep an eye on? And how exactly could they impact the Dolphins?

1. Ben Roethlisberger's suspension- By now, I'm sure all of you are well aware that Big Ben has been suspended for the first six games of the season for violating the league's personal conduct policy. Coincidentally, the Dolphins are scheduled to face off with the Steelers in both team's six game.

But before you rejoice about Miami playing against a Byron Leftwich or Charlie Batch led offense, it's likely Roethlisberger will get that suspension reduced to only four games.

If he can stay out of trouble, that is. Of course, that doesn't mean the Dolphins can't beat the Steelers at home, as they nearly accomplished that feat a year ago, despite Henne missing the entire second half. But there's no doubt, the Dolphins chances would improve significantly if he was still suspended.

2. Wes Welker's knee- When Welker tore up his knee in Week 17 last season, many thought he would be sidelined for a good portion of 2010. To Welker's credit though, he's had limited participation in offseason workouts, which likely puts him ahead of schedule in the rehabilitation process.

Welker returning by the beginning of the season, would be quite a feat, but due to the nature of the injury and Wes' style of play, he may never be able to tear defenses apart like he has in the past. There's little arguing the fact that New England has one of the most dominate passing attacks in football with Welker racking up catch after catch from the slot, and Randy Moss providing the big-play fireworks on the outside.

You simply can't double-team both. If Welker's knee can no longer enable him to cut on a dime though, which has played a large role in making him virtually un-coverable, the whole Patriots offense could take a significant hit. And that could mean finally overtaking the Pats as the class of the division, would be a less daunting task for the Dolphins and Jets.

Alright, alright, enough of all the LeBron talk. This is a Miami Dolphins football blog, after all. And to continue our training camp preparation, a day after putting the cornerback's under the microscope, I want to post a few clips of Sean Smith being the ball-hawk he wasn't in 09'.

I have said before that I'm not making anything out of his zero picks last season, because I think it was a fluke, and that I feel he has the potential of becoming a shutdown corner for the Dolphins. We will have to wait and see if that's possible, but I'm confident we won't have to wait long for Smith to snag his first interception.

He was a former college receiver after all, and totalled nine picks in two seasons after switching to corner at Utah.

Being only a Dolphins fan, I didn't really know how to feel about LeBron James coming to Miami. On one hand, as a general sports fan, I can't wait to see the three-headed monster take the floor together. I'm also excited for many Dolphin fans who happen to be Heat fans. But part of me is a little worried that the Heat have overtaken the hearts of the city of Miami, and everyone is going to forget about the Dolphins.

Well, that's a little extreme, but the Dolphins have always been No. 1 in Miami, and now they will possibly be playing in the shadow of King James. Maybe that will relieve some of the pressure that has come with signing Karlos Dansby, trading for Brandon Marshall, and Stephen Ross predicting a Super Bowl to go along with Chad Henne becoming the next Dan Marino.

Still though, you don't want the fans to except failure, just because they have a basketball team to take solace in. You want expectations to be where they are at. So, I'm curious, for those South Florida area sports fans, who do you feel like is number one to the city? Not who is your favorite. Not who you think has the better chance at winning a title. Just who you feel the city of Miami cherishes the most.

Miami Dolphins-The Dolphins were the first relevant thing to happen to South Florida sports. They won the hearts of the city, when they went to three straight Super Bowls, undefeated in 1972, and defended their crown in 73'. That tradition continued, as Don Shula became the all-time winning-est coach, the Dolphins captured the league's highest all-time winning percentage, and a quarterback from Pittsburgh lit up the city with accolades and record breaking performances for 17 years. They haven't captured a title in nearly forty years, but the Dolphins made Miami what it has been- a football town. After what was the worst stretch of seasons in franchise history, a new regime has given fans a reason to believe the glory days are on the verge of a comeback.

Miami Heat-The Heat were born in 1988, but were really an after-thought on the Miami sports scene until the arrival of Dwyane Wade. With Wade, the Heat started winning, and after a trade that brought in Shaquille O'Neal, they landed the NBA title in 2006. They have struggled some since, but D-Wade has always given fans a reason to show up, and tune in. And now, of course, the unprecedented alliance of two superstars, and a lesser star, and more importantly, the landing of one of sports' most iconic figures, has captivated the whole country. Will the presence of this super team give the city of Miami a new identity? Or will tradition hold it's own?

Miami Hurricanes-The Hurricanes followed the Dolphins' lead in the 1980's, establishing a dynasty of their own. Overall, they've brought the city five national championships, and have built what has been a national powerhouse with a little swagger and controversy sprinkled in. They have been known for being a pro football factory, as well. High-profile names like Warren Sapp, Ray Lewis, Ed Reed, Jim Kelly, and Micheal Irvin all strapped on the green and orange.

Florida Marlins-Former Dolphins' owner Wayne Huizenga founded the Marlins in 1991. Despite struggling to put fans in the seats, the Marlins have won two World Series titles (97', 03'). They will probably always play second fiddle to the teams above though, just because baseball will never be bigger than football, or even basketball in Miami. And I think most fans just want them to move to their new stadium already, so the Dolphins don't have to play on that in-field dirt every September.

Florida Panthers- Miami has a hockey team?

POLL NOW CLOSED- DOLPHINS WIN WITH 73% OF THE VOTES

SportsCenter managed to sneak in a couple minutes of NFL talk, despite the hoopla and hype that surrounds LeBron James' decision tonight. ESPN continued their Ultimate NFL Power Rankings, by slotting the 9-16 teams. And wouldn't you know it, ESPN is actually giving the Dolphins a little respect. Well, whoever did the rankings, at least.

The Dolphins were ranked 11th, two spots behind the Patriots, and an unknown amount of spots behind the Jets, due to the top eight teams not being revealed yet. I have to say, despite still being labeled the division's third best team, I was pleasantly surprised by how high they were ranked. ESPN has been ranting and raving about the Jets and Pats being the class of the division, but not mentioning the Dolphins in that mix. Ranking them 11th however, obviously puts them right in the thick of things.

Mike Golic was quick to say not so fast, though. He mentioned that the Dolphins were getting too much respect for his liking, because Chad Henne is an unproven quarterback. Which is a respectable argument, but not consistent with his feelings about the Jets. Golic has previously picked the Jets to win the AFC East, and has bought into them being a legitimate Super Bowl contender, despite having an even more unproven quarterback than Henne, in Mark Sanchez.