With all of this talk in the media about the Dolphins being a contender in the AFC, I thought it would be appropriate to disperse where the pressure, that comes with these expectations, lies throughout the organization. This will be part one of a three part series, that will evaluate the offense, defense, and coaching staff.

Today we start with the coaching staff, and discuss how much pressure head coach Tony Sparano, offensive coordinator Dan Henning, and defensive coordinator Mike Nolan have on their shoulders heading into the 2010 season. Below each coach and brief description is a pressure meter that manifest itself in a 1 to 10 bar, with one obviously being no pressure, and ten being on the hot seat.

Tony Sparano: When expectations for a football team rise, the person that is the center of attention, and vulnerable to the most criticism is usually the head coach. Nowadays, it seems as though football coaches, both at the collegiate and pro levels, are strictly only on one-year contracts.

Because in reality, one bad season is all it takes for an entire fan base to call for the coaches head. And on many occasions, those fans typically get what they want. You would like to think the established coaches are the exception to this rule, but seeing how Denver and Tampa Bay rid themselves of two Super Bowl winning head coaches last year, in Mike Shanahan and Jon Gruden, it's easy to see why no one is truly safe.

After leading Miami to the AFC East title in 08', it would have probably taken a one or two win catastrophe in 09' for Sparano to lose his job. Now though, with many expecting the Dolphins to at least be in the playoff discussion come December, Sparano could quickly find himself on the hotseat with only five wins or less.

The circumstances behind such a dismal season would likely determine his fate. But because many still consider this to be Bill Parcells team, Sparano may get a pass in the media and with the fans.

Dan Henning: Some wanted Henning out of town at the beginning of the offseason, after some questionable playcalling from time to time last year. The Dolphins retained him however, and gave him a shiny new toy to play with, when they traded for Brandon Marshall.

Henning can now open up the offense with a down-field threat like Marshall for defenses to scheme around. There is some debate about how much they should open things up though, as the Dolphins are still built to be a run-first team. Whatever Henning plans to do, it better work, because this offense is too talented to not be a top ten unit in 2010.

If they do struggle, it could have more to do with Chad Henne not being able to take that next step as a quarterback than Henning's playcalling, but nonetheless he will likely be looking for work next offseason if this offense doesn't become the dynamic, high-scoring unit many envision them being.

Mike Nolan: Nolan takes over a defense that finished 22nd overall a year ago, but likely must improve drastically overnight in order for the Dolphins to become a Super Bowl contender. Much has been made of Nolan's transformation of a Broncos' defense that rounded out the 08' season 29th in the league in total defense, into the 7th overall unit we saw last season. Can he do the same in Miami?

His track record indicates he can, but with so many uncertainties all over the field, it would be hard to put too much of the blame on Nolan if things don't pan out. After all, it was this front office that assembled the current roster, not Nolan. But nonetheless, the fans will expect a similar turnaround for the Dolphins, even though I think you would be hard pressed to find a better man for the job than Nolan, even if his new defense has it's fair share of struggles in year one.

So what are your thoughts? What kind of year would it take to put Sparano on the hotseat? And how well does the offense and defense need to perform for the coordinators to stay put?

Some breaking and shocking news just hit the airwaves. Dolphins nose tackle Jason Ferguson announced his retirement after 13 seasons in the following statement:

 “You get what you put into this game. I would like to thank my family, the fans and the organizations that I have been a part of for their continued support throughout my career, it’s been an absolute blessing to play this long. I have built a lot of relationships, you develop an extended family playing this game; I would like to thank that extended family, the teammates, the coaches, the support staffs that have all played a part of a great ride."

Many expected Ferguson to retire after he was suspended for the first eight games of the season for violating the league's substance abuse policy, but he re-signed with the Dolphins anyway. My guess is, knowing he was already going to miss half the season and that he probably wouldn't return as the starter when he was eligible if Randy Starks transitioned to nose smoothly, probably made the sound of the grind that will come with training camp opening in a couple weeks not worth it.

Obviously, this hurts the Dolphins insurance at the position, with Starks being unproven at the nose and Paul Soliai struggling last season, but the only way this actually hurts their 2010 season, is if Starks does indeed struggle or is injured. So, let's just hope this regime knows what they are doing with this gamble of a move.

Let's also wish Ferguson a happy and healthy life after football, and extend a big thank you for the two years he put in for the Dolphins. There's no question, he played a huge role in helping the Dolphins transition to the 3-4 defense so effortlessly in the 08' season.

There was a time when Dolphin fans could pull the disrespect card. There was a time when the Dolphins could understandably put on the cliche "us against the world" mentality, and get motivation from the media's constant downplaying of anything they did.

That may have been the case with the success they had in 2008, but it's becoming evident that more and more high-profile media members are starting to buy into Miami as a legitimate contender, who is not only a threat to win the AFC East, but could have the potential to make a deep playoff run.

Today was no exception. On the NFL Network's Around the League, Micheal Lombardi said some things about the Dolphins, other analyst seem hesitant, maybe even afraid to.

The topic was which AFC team would improve the most in 2010. Lombardi confidently picked the Dolphins, raving about how Brandon Marshall brings big play potential to an offense who's execution was already outstanding.

He also pointed out how people forget they beat the Jets twice last season, and even went as far as to say he thinks they are the team to beat in the AFC East. Talk about going out on a limb.

A few weeks ago, multiple sources reported that the Dolphins were showing interest in former BYU running back Harvey Unga. If that interest is genuine, we could see Miami make a strong bid for Unga in tomorrow's suplemental draft.

Even though they are already set at running back for the 2010 season, with Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams ready to carry the load for at least one more year, the future at the position could sure use some assurance.

Unga is a burly 244 pound power back, who fits the Parcells' mold like a glove. His size indicates he may be suited for fullback at the pro level, but his athleticism and receiving skills have scouts projecting him to stay put running back.

Yes, Unga could be an intriguing successor to either Ronnie or Ricky, but even if the Dolphins are sold, the sacrifice that may come with selecting him and the competing interest from other teams will likely prevent him from coming to Miami.

With the way the supplemental draft works, if the Dolphins were to bid a higher draft pick than any other team for Unga's services, they would then forfeit that pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

Many predict Unga's value at a fifth-round pick, which would mean the Dolphins would lose their fifth-rounder in next year's actual draft.

With teams like the Seahawks, Saints, Eagles, and Buccaneers also rumored to be in the mix though, Miami putting in the highest bid seems like a bit of a long shot.

Especially, considering they are already void of a second-round pick in next year's draft, and how much they value their picks, even those of the late round variety.

In the event that they do land Unga, however, both Lex Hilliard and Kory Sheets could be on the outside looking in at the final 53-man roster.

Just how bad were the Dolphins' inside linebackers a year ago? Well, it was arguably the worst position on the entire team, and the only reason I say arguably was because free safety made an equally dreadful case. In fact, you could probably get away with saying Miami's inside linebacker's would have been in the cellar, if you were to rank each team at the position.

The usually solid Channing Crowder, had the, hands down, worst season of his life, Akin Ayodele was exposed repeatedly while attempting to drop back in coverage, and Reggie Torbor may have been the worst cover linebacker in all of football.

Needless to say, a makeover was in order. When the clock struck midnight on the morning of free agency, most Dolphin fans were glued to their TV set, hoping Karlos Dansby would take his talents to South Beach.

Dansby informed everyone his first visit would be Miami, and thankfully, it was also his last. The Dolphins locked up the best available inside linebacker on the market, and a player who will finally provide some playmaking spark at the position.

The Dolphins also brought in Tim Dobbins in a draft day steal. Dobbins projects to contribute heavily on special teams, but could emerge as a starter if Crowder can't return to form.

Safe

Karlos Dansby: He was the huge upgrade that was almost necessary given the other players available and how many needs this football team had going into the draft. He can stuff the run, drop back into coverage, and rush the passer. He's an all-around linebacker, not the one-dimensional type you see in Crowder. Will he live up to the $43 million dollars Parcells and Ireland threw at him though?

Channing Crowder: Crowder may not be on the good side of the fans anymore, but this regime still seems to have maintained their high opinion of him. He's as one-dimensional as they come, has made only a few game-changing plays in his career, is attempting to come back from a Lisfranc fracture, and is fresh off a season where his tackling production was cut in half. Still though, the one dimension Crowder does bring to the table, has been pretty darn good in the past. For all his faults, he knows how to play the run. And now that he's paired with a guy who can handle the playmaking and coverage duties, he may be able to get away with being purely a run-stuffer.

Tim Dobbins: Even if Dobbins doesn't push Crowder at all, and he proves to only be a core special teams guy, he brings enough potential production on special teams to likely secure his roster spot. Like I have said before though, Dobbins had more tackles than Crowder last year, in way less playing time. That doesn't change the fact, that Ireland labeled him a special teams contributor, shortly after the draft day trade, and that we haven't heard any reports of an open competition, though. So, maybe he's still a backup, but the depth he brings to the position can't be under-appreciated.

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The quarterback's blindside has solidified itself as one of the most important positions in football. Where did the Dolphins turn, after all, when attempting to lay the framework for the turnaround we have seen?

They took a mammouth left tackle from Michigan with the first overall pick a little over two years ago, and have transformed what was considered one of the worse offensive lines in the league, into one of the better units in football.

That low-risk selection has to be considered one of the smartest moves made by this regime in the re-building process, and I think it's safe to say they would do the same thing, if given the opportunity to do it all over again.

While the interior of the line is in for a bit of a shakeup, the tackles on the outside should continue to provide stability for an offensive line looking to protect and open up holes for an offense possibly ready to sky rocket into elite status.

Safe

Jake Long: Long is probably the best player on this team, and could hold down that status for years into the foreseeable future. He's as safe as safe can be on the roster and as the starter at left tackle.

Vernon Carey: Carey provides solid play at right tackle, and finally received a little recognition after 09', when he was named a first-team all-pro by Peter King. Although he's undoubtedly safe on the roster this season, some question his long-term value. He's always been a tremendous run blocker, but the 20 quarterback pressures he surrendered last season could make him replaceable down the road. If he can make significant strides in pass protection in 2010 though, I don't see why he can't be apart of this team's future plans.

Nate Garner: The versatility Garner brings to the table makes him virtually uncuttable, in my opinion. His heroics last year in Carolina, where he played just about every position on along the line, won him over in the opinion of fans and coaches, alike.

Possible Cuts

Andrew Garner: Andrew got the nod over Nate at the beginning of last season, when the Dolphins only kept three tackles, and placed Nate on the practice squad. Things will likely be in reverse this time around, however, as Nate's versatility should win out, regardless of the progress Andrew makes in year two. Of course, the Dolphins could always keep four tackles, but with many expecting them to keep four running backs again, keeping one less tackle will likely be the repercussion.

Likely Cuts

Lydon Murtha: Murtha was brought over from the Detroit Lions practice squad last October. He will likely have the same fate on the Dolphins' roster though, as it's hard to make a case for him sticking to the final roster with the talent in front of him.

Andrew Hartline: Hartline stared the 09' season on the practice squad after failing to make the team. He was promoted though, after the Dolphins regrettably washed their hands of Matt Roth. He will likely start this season as a practice squad member as well, but if something opens up down the road, he could find himself on the team, once again.

Predictions

LT Depth Chart
1. Jake Long
2. Nate Garner

RT Depth Chart
1. Vernon Carey
2. Nate Garner

Cuts
Andrew Garner
Lydon Murtha
Andrew Hartline

Coutdown to Camp: 18 days

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