Now that we've had a day to digest what we saw Saturday night, it's time to get the evaluation under way and grade the Dolphins' performance. The dropped balls, the stagnation of the first-team offense, and the result of a downpour on the dirt in-field, made "ugly" about the only word you can use to describe the Dolphins' watered down 10-7 victory.

Still though, we saw some good signs from the new look defense, despite Mike Nolan not tipping his hand with any of the exotic blitz package he's been implementing in training camp. But let's get the hard part over with, and try to give a fair grade to the lackluster offense.

Offense

First-team: Out of all the times it could have rain Saturday, it just had to be for the duration of the first quarter, which just so happened to be when the Dolphins' starting offense took the field. We don't want to start making excuses for these guys, because that's not the mindset of a champion, but it's sort of a shame that our first look at this offense was in those less than ideal conditions.

Wet ball or not, though, Brandon Marshall has to make those two catches that hit him right square in the hands, and especially that second ball where there wasn't a defender within five yards of him. The same goes for Brian Hartline, who also dropped a ball that would have moved the chains, on a third down no less.

And wet footing or not, Vernon Carey can't kill the promising first drive with a holding penalty on a would have been first down run by Ronnie Brown. But unwanted penalties are a part of the preseason, and when you look at how sluggish the Chad Henne led group looked, these meaningless games do serve their purpose, after all.

GRADE: D-

Second-team/third-team: When Tyler Thigpen came in, the passing game finally got going a bit. The battle for the fifth and final receiver spot picked up some heat, when Patrick Turner, Roberto Wallace, and Marlon Moore all flashed some big-play potential. The running game was a non-factor after Ronnie was pulled out, though, as Lex Hilliard only managed 19 yards on 8 carries after a fantastic 09' preseason.

The second string O-line was awfully suspect as well. To go along with their lack of push for the running game, the pass protection was a huge fall-off from the first-team. So let's just hope the starting offensive line can stay healthy this season, especially at the tackles.

GRADE: C+

Well, you know how the old saying goes, a win is a win, right? Not exactly on this night. Not when the thought to be drastically improved first-team offense goes 0 for 4 on series that were cut short by a couple costly penalties and a few drive killing drops. The much anticipated debut of All-Pro receiver Brandon Marshall was as disappointing as they come, as the $50 million man saw two perfectly placed Chad Henne passes go in and out of his hands. You can play the blame game all day long, but the fact is, it's going to rain this year, and the Dolphins are going to have to play on that hideous dirt in-field for at least two games, which just happen to arguably be the two most important home games of the season (Jets and Patriots).

Maybe the Dolphins need to get out of that nice little bubble of theirs, and practice in the elements a bit, because Marshall has to make those catches. Having said that, there's no reason to lose sleep over this. There is a reason Marshall has three straight 100+ catch seasons under his belt. He's an elite talent and is eventually going to get out of this little funk he's been in ever since last weekends scrimmage. The interior O-line didn't struggle nearly as bad as they have reportedly during camp. Before Vernon Carey's holding penalty on the opening series, the running game was starting to build some momentum, as Ronnie Brown was putting together a nice little drive. Also, the offensive line as a whole kept Henne clean, outside of the hit he received on the play-action roll-out pass to Fasano. 

On the bright side, the defense was pretty solid all night long. The first-team gave up a touchdown, but it took a perfectly placed Josh Freeman pass and a spectacular catch by Mike Williams to beat great coverage by Vontae Davis, which got that scoring drive going. Other than that, the pass rush was pretty solid, as Koa Misi and Cameron Wake forced Freeman out of the pocket on a couple plays, and the front seven as a whole was close to dominate for the entire first half. The first-team run defense was good, not great, but if it wasn't for a missed tackle by Kendall Langord, they would have fared much better.

Randy Starks looked the part of a true nose guard tonight, but the performance of the night was arguably owned by Paul Soliai. Soliai recovered a fumble, and was the cornerstone for a dominate run defense during most of the second quarter. This is just me speaking, but if Soliai continues to look this good, why not move Starks back to defensive end and give the keys to Soliai at the nose? That is still a big if and purely speculation, but it appears Miami is pretty deep at the position for the time being.

The Buc's receivers made some great plays out there tonight, but I would say the secondary as a whole had a pretty decent outing. Sean Smith bounced back nicely from being a bit out of position on Tampa's only score of the night, with his third preseason interception in his two-year career. Chris Clemons looked sharp, Nolan Carroll showed us why everyone has been hyping him up in training camp, and Nate Ness was the player of the second-half, with two forced fumbles, and two passes broken up.

At the end of the day, the offense's lackluster performance leaves us with a sour taste in our mouth, but anytime you escape these exhibitions with no serious injuries, things could always be worse.

Game Ball: Paul Soliai, NT

Stat-line

Passing
C. Henne: 5-11, 19 yards
T. Thigpen: 10-19, 145 yards

Rushing
R. Brown: 5 carries, 20 yards
R. Williams: 3 carries, 10 yards
L. Hilliard: 8 carries, 19 yards, 1 touchdown

Receiving
M. Moore: 2 receptions, 44 yards
P. Turner: 2 receptions, 44 yards
J. Pruitt: 2 receptions, 23 yards

Forced Turnovers
N. Ness: 2 forced fumbles
P. Soliai: 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery
J. Odrick: 1 fumble recovery
R. Jones: 1 fumble recovery, 11 yard return
S. Smith: 1 interception

Top 5 Tacklers
N. Ness: 4 tackles
A. Spitler: 4 tackles
J. Allen: 3 tackles
C. Crowder: 3 tackles
M. Johnson: 3 tackles

When: Tonight at 7:00 p.m. EST
Where: Sun Life Stadium- Miami Gardens, Florida
TV: Live on NFL Network

The time is finally here. After the redundancy that comes with two weeks of non-stop grind, the Dolphins finally get to hit another team. Some of you may argue that these preseason games are a total waste of three hours, but do you realize we haven't had the privilege of watching some Dolphins' football in over seven months?

When you factor in getting a first glance at Brandon Marshall in a Phins' uniform, Mike Nolan's new defensive scheme, the various positions battles, and the rookies fighting for starting jobs and roster spots, it's easy to see why tonight's preseason opener is must-see TV for any die-hard Dolphins' fan.

Unfortunately, I am short on time this afternoon, so I will be unable to get too in depth with this preview. Instead, I've composed a list of three questions that are derived from the more relevant story lines, and three players to watch. Check back later tonight and in the coming days for full evaluation of tonight's game. 

3 key questions as Dolphins open preseason

1. Will interior offensive line come together?
The well-documented struggles of the interior O-line may be keeping you up at night, but rest assured Tony Sparano, who is a former line coach after all, will eventually right the ship. Tonight will be a good place to start. I expect the run blocking to be solid, but they need to limit pressure between the tackles, which is something they have reportedly struggled with all camp. I'm also interested to see which players rise to the occasion tonight, if any, and if we can get a better feel for which three guys will start come September.

2. Will pass rush be as dominate against another team?
Maybe the interior O-line isn't playing as bad as it looks. Maybe Mike Nolan's scheme is that good. Well, that's what you would call wishful thinking. But, hey, a hand-full of sacks, and a few forced rushed throws from Josh Freeman and company, and that scenerio could become a little more realistic. I will say that I don't expect Mike Nolan to be too exotic with his blitz packages, considering there is no reason to give anything away in a meaningless game, but we should see a more aggressive attack.

Cameron Wake will also be in the spotlight. According to reports, it seems like the dude is getting to the quarterback a couple times a practice. Will he continue that trend tonight, and give us more reason to believe the Dolphins have an elite pass rusher on their hands? Of course, we already knew Wake had potential as a pass rusher, so how he defends the run and drops back into coverage will be just as crucial.

3. Will the first-team offense get in the end-zone?
The starting offense will likely set the tone for a successful, lukewarm, or just plain bad night. If Chad Henne leads a scoring drive or two, but the third-stringers lose the game in the fourth quarter, everyone is still going to feel pretty good. On the same note, if the starting offense goes out there and produces a few three-and-outs, but the backups rally in the second-half, the Dolphins are going to have a bitter taste in their mouth. Henne is reportedly playing the entire first quarter, so punching it in for six has to be the goal.

3 players to watch

Randy Starks: It seems like everyone has forgotten how important it will be for Randy Starks to successfully transition to nose tackle. Maybe it's just hard to evaluate how he is coming along when the Dolphins tend to stay away from focusing too much on the run in practice. Tonight will be a great test, however. We need to see Starks taking on two blockers at a time, and opening up space for the linebackers to make plays on the ball. If he doesn't, the whole scheme could be in jeopardy, and the Dolphins would be wise to consider other options (the 4-3). I predict Starks will do just fine, though, and eventually be an upgrade from Jason Ferguson, considering he will provide an interior pass rush to go along with his run-stuffing ability.

Chris Clemons: We should get our best look at Clemons to date. The expected starter at free safety, has been getting reps with the first and third team's, and is reportedly a solid showing tonight away from clinching the job. If he plays the way he practices, we should see smart decision making out there, but I also want to see his range in center-field, and his ability to make tackles in space if needed.

Brandon Marshall: Now to the biggest headline of the night. Brandon Marshall will be making his Dolphins' debut. Will we see the guy who has reportedly been dominate for stretches, or the player who only snagged two balls in last weekend's scrimmage?

Will Allen out until opener after arthroscopic knee surgury
All indications were pointing to another serious setback today, when the Dolphins sent Will Allen to a specialist to get the knee, which suffered the torn ACL last season, checked out. Allen reportedly tweaked his left knee earlier in the week, and struggled to play through the pain.

The thought of Allen possibly re-tearing the ligament in that knee likely had many fans holding their breath until the prognosis was discovered this evening. Fortunately for Allen, the depth at corner, and the nickel package, all that was required was a relatively minor arthroscopic surgery to clean out any unwanted fluids that were causing him trouble. And even though the procedure will likely sideline him for the duration of the preseason, I think it's safe to say this is a relieving outcome given that some were speculating Allen's year could be prematurely over once again.

And really, assuming Allen can now return to 100% with that knee cleaned out, this could very well turn out to be a blessing in disguise. This means we are going to see a whole lot more of Nolan Carroll- a fifth-round draft pick who has reportedly had an outstanding camp, and will take Allen's place as the nickel corner. This also opens up some speculation as to how many corners the Dolphins will now keep. Before Allen's surgery, it was basically a given that only five corners were going to make the 53-man roster.

Now, though, the uncertanity of Allen's health could lead Miami to keep an extra guy. That would probably come at the expense of a borderline outside linebacker or defensive end, but a player like Nate Ness may be a necessary insurance policy to keep around.

Taurus Johnson cut, Ray Feinga re-signed, and Kevin Hobbs signed
So much for Taurus Johnson's chances as the team's kick-return specialist. Many were rooting for Johnson to make an impression staring Saturday night returning kicks, but the Dolphins had other plans. Yes, Johnson may have some big-play potential, but even if he did have some nice returns in the preseason, he still wouldn't of had much of a chance at cracking the roster with Patrick Turner in the midst of a solid camp.

Johnson's roster void likely led to Miami bringing back guard Ray Feinga. The disappointing play at both guard positions likely led to bringing Feinga back, but outside of an injury, I still don't see him sticking around when the final cuts are made.

Evan Ogelsby's ankle injury is as serious as feared. The team chose to put Ogelsby on the IR this morning, and replaced him with Kevin Hobbs. Hobbs has four years of experience under his belt, and produced his best season last year in Detroit, where he tallied 37 tackles and started two games.

Brandon Marshall to the NBA?
In case you didn't get to see Sports Center tonight, the training camp tour bus arrived in Davie today, as Adam Schefter sat down with Chad Henne and Brandon Marshall. Unfortunately, most of the talk centered around basketball. The discussion opened with mention of the LeBron James and Chris Bosh addition to the Heat, which led Marshall to confidently predict he will be playing in the NBA next year if there is a lockout.

Maybe I am just being picky, because Marshall has stayed out of trouble off the field and has kept his mouth shut until now, but is he seriously talking about the NBA when we are mere weeks away from one of the most anticipated seasons in recent memory for this franchise? I don't want to make a bigger deal of this than it has to be, but let me just quote the fine folks at ESPN's Monday Night Countdown, by saying "C'mon man."  

Dolphins trying to trade Pat White?
This is purely speculation at this point, but the Sun-Sentinel's Mike Berardino offered his opinion on why Pat White received 25 of the team's 41 reps in team drills this evening. Berardino seems to think that the Dolphins are going to showcase White on Saturday for a possible trade.

When you add in the fact that Chad Pennington reportedly won't play, Berardino may be on to something here. At this point, given how bad White has reportedly looked so far in camp, I would be ecstatic if the Dolphins were able to get any sort of compensation for riding themselves of what was now obviously a waste of a second-round pick.

Injury Report
Vernon Carey: returned to practice after missing some reps last night with an apparent minor leg issue

Patrick Cobbs: rode the exercise bike (hamstring/returning from ACL)

Tim Dobbins: joined Cobbs on the bike (ankle)

Nate Garner: missed session (foot)

Sources: Mike Berardino, Omar Kelly

We are a little over a week removed from the first installment of this series- a weekly update of where the Dolphins' various position battles stand- and some of the previously mentioned competitions appear already decided, while others seem no closer to crowning a starter. Of course, things could drastically change starting Saturday night when the Dolphins kick off the preseason against Tampa Bay, so I will remind you again that this is not a prediction on my part, just an updated scorecard on where we currently stand, or, to put it another way, my opinion on which competing players would start if Week 1 was today.

First things first, though, let's get to the positions that are likely already decided. Chris Clemons, despite Sparano's comments today that suggested the free safety would write his name in pen as the starter with a solid performance on Saturday, doesn't appear to be facing much of a threat from Reshad Jones, Brain Hartline is clearly the No. 2 receiver if he stays healthy, and Cameron Wake is without a doubt the starter on the weakside.

Offense

Left Guard: Donald Thomas
I was tempted to put Nate Garner here, but, as you already know, he re-aggrivated his foot in today's practice. With that said, I think this is becoming Donald Thomas' job to lose. Yes, he's been suspect in pass protection, but so has reportedly everyone else on the interior of the line. His run blocking skills, however, and his ability to effectively pull might be the class of Miami's core of guards.

Center: Joe Berger
I haven't really supported the competition at center because I feel Jake Grove is one of the better run blocking centers in football. But obviously, Sparano wants more from the position and believes in Joe Berger. If not, Berger and Grove wouldn't have been rotation off and on since the spring. Grove's recent bone bruise on his knee, which has sidelined him for the last few days, may have just conceded the advantage to Berger. Given that the Dolphins don't work heavily on the running game during training camp, it's hard for the media to evaluate how the two are coming along. That will change Saturday night when the bullets are live, so there's still plenty of time for Grove to turn it around if he can get back to 100%.

Right Guard: Richie Incognito
Yes, John Jerry has spent ALL of training camp with the first-team at right guard, but the reasoning is obviously to speed up the rookie's development. One thing is for sure, the best players will play come September. And right now, John Jerry isn't the best option at right guard. Despite spending some time on the left side, I expect Incognito to move back to the right side, and eventually take over on the first-team.

Defense

Right Defensive End: Jared Odrick
If there's one rookie who isn't being thrust into the starting lineup for developmental reasons, it's Jared Odrick. Odrick has reportedly been improving every single day, and appears to be the Dolphins' best option at right end, even though Charles Grant has stepped up his game and Marques Douglas is an already proven run-stuffer.

Strongside Outside Linebacker: Koa Misi
It's hard to get a feel for Koa Misi. Grant it, he's been invisible so far in camp, but some members of the media sing his praises while others question if he's ready. If there was any starting quality behind him, then that's who I would expect to start. Outside of Ikaika Alama-Francis, with who the jury is still out, in large part because he's new to the position, there's really nobody likely capable of producing solid play.

Special Teams

Kick Returner: Patrick Cobbs
Guys like Taurus Johnson and Nolan Carroll will get their opportunities in the preaseason, but Johnson is a long-shot to make the roster and Carroll hasn't returned kicks since high school. So for right now, you still have to go with a guy who has returned kicks with a moderate level of consistency in the past. And right now, that's Patrick Cobbs. Things can change in a hurry, though, especially with multiple players expected to get opportunities.

Punt Returner: Davone Bess
I'm a little disappointed that Davone Bess is still being looked at as a punt returner. I love him as a slot receiver as much as the next guy, but he was honestly pretty dreadful as a punt returner last season. He had a few memorable muffs and doesn't possess any big-play potential. Hopefully, either Brian Hartline or Taurus Johnson, who were listed as second and third on the team's recently released depth chart, can eventually earn the job.