The Dolphins were expected to possibly sign one of their remaining unsigned draft picks today. Instead, they continued to load up on defensive end depth by agreeing to terms with former Saint Charles Grant. According to NFL.com, the deal is for two years and worth up to $4.5 million.

The 31-year old, eight year veteran has played in the Saints 4-3 system for all of his career, but has the measurables (6'3, 285) to stay put at defensive end in Miami's 3-4. He has started 106 games for the Saints, and has registered a solid 423 tackles and 47.0 sacks.

The Dolphins have now signed Marques Douglas, Montavious Stanely, and now Grant since Phillip Merling was ruled out for the year. These veterans being thrown into the mix with Kendall Langford, who is a virtual lock on one side, and Jared Odrick, who should sign in the coming days, will produce a heated competition once camp kicks off in less than 48 hours.

Regardless of what type of role Grant earns in camp, the Dolphins could be forced to do without his services for four games, though, but the four-game suspension he was handed by the league for testing positive for a banned diuretic is currently postponed due to legal proceedings.

Could defensive end be in better shape than before the Merling injury? Well, they will certainly be more experienced, but I guess we will have to wait and see if Douglas and Grant, in particular, have much left in the tank.

More to come tomorrow, as we finish up our training camp preview on the final day of the offseason, as the only remaining position just happens to be defensive end.

Now on to the feel good position heading into camp. Dolphin fans are still riding high after the trade that brought Brandon Marshall to Miami, a talent arguably superior to anything the Dolphins have had at the position since Paul Warfield.

Marshall brings his 6'4, 230 pound frame that is responsible for three straight 100+ catch seasons to an offense that was desperate for a true go-to threat, that would not only open up the unit, but provide Chad Henne the necessary resources to develop into a franchise quarterback.

Beyond Marshall, though, there is some uncertainty with the rest of the core, but some promising potential accompanying it. The battle for the No. 2 spot opposite Marshall will be an intriguing storyline to watch unfold this camp, and watching Davone Bess emerge as an elite slot receiver, or not, should be interesting to see as the season progresses.

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Brandon Marshall: Even though Marshall is undoubtedly a top five talent at receiver, many expect his production to slip off considerably in Miami's run-first attack that is led by an unproven quarterback. Many fantasy rankings don't even have him in the top ten, and some statistical projections have Marshall under 100 catches and 1,000 yards for the first time since his rookie season.

But many expected his numbers to drop off last year too, when Jay Cutler was traded to Chicago and Kyle Orton took over for Denver. As we all know, though, Marshall maintained his gaudy numbers and even put up a career high with 10 touchdowns. So will Marshall be the same Pro Bowl receiver in Miami? Of course, we will have to wait and see.

Who knows if Miami even needs that kind of production to be successful as an offense. With the way they run the ball and control the clock, maybe Marshall racking up reception after reception in the short to intermediate passing game will suffice. Whatever the case, it's clear the Dolphins not having enough talent at receiver is no longer an excuse for this offense or it's quarterback.

Davone Bess: Is there any player on the offense outside of Chad Henne that benefits more from Marshall coming to town? Well, you could argue Ronnie or Ricky, but the reality is Bess could emerge as an outstanding slot receiver, and combine with Marshall for a lethal duo that rivals that of the Patriots' Moss-Welker combination.

Obviously, no one is expecting similar numbers, as the Patriots still have Tom Brady, after all, and Belichick's system is a pass happy attack, but Marshall and Bess could produce offensive fireworks if Chad Henne is who we hope he is.

Everyone expects Bess to contribute from the slot, but could he have more of a chance in the battle for the No. 2 receiver than we give him credit for? He was seen working on the outside some during OTA's, and New England uses Welker on the outside when they line up in two receiver sets, so could Bess crack the starting lineup?

Greg Camarillo: Camarillo has been ol' reliable over the past three years. His sure hands, which didn't allow a drop last season, give him a strong case to win a starting job. Talent-wise, though, he's arguably already hit his ceiling, while his competition, Brian Hartline, has plenty of room to grow. Regardless, of whether Camarillo is able to beat Hartline, he will likely at least contribute in a rotational role.

Brian Hartline: Hartline may be in some legal trouble after allegedly abandoning his vehicle after hitting a parked Escalade, but his upside has many predicting him to win the No. 2 receiver job. In only two starts last year, Hartline had 31 receptions, 506 yards, and led all receivers with 3 touchdowns.

His superior speed to Camarillo and Bess also flashed some big-play potential. But how big of strides will he have to make in year two to unseat Camarillo? The same goes for Hartline that goes for Camarillo, though. Both will be given opportunities to contribute, either with a starting role, or in the rotation.

Well, I was out of town today, and couldn't get to the blog in order to report the contract extension of kicker Dan Carpenter. Anyway, if you haven't heard yet, the Dolphins have extended their Pro Bowl kicker for three years, keeping Carpenter in Miami through the 2013 season.

The Dolphins handed punter Brandon Fields and long-snapper John Denney extensions earlier this offseason, and now Carpenter is locked up beyond 2010. He was probably the most worthy of an extension out of any of them too, even though both Fields and Denney are solid.

Carpenter split the uprights on 46 of his 53 field goal attempts in his first two seasons, and has come through in the clutch-going 3 for 3 on game-winning situations. Scout.com is reporting the deal is worth $6.21 million from 2011 through 2013.

With the AFC East squads kicking off training camp this week, I've decided to do a little preseason all-AFC East first-team, like what you see at the collegiate level on a national scale and in the conferences. The idea of putting together a team of the division's best before the season actually begins is a bit irrelevant, but comparing how the individuals in the division stack up against their rivals is a great way to get the football juices pumping again.

Before we begin, let me make it clear this differs slightly from traditional preseason all-star teams. I'm not exaclty considering past season performances with this group. Instead, this is more of a prediction of how I see the season playing out, and which individuals I expect to standout in what is becoming one of the top divisions in the league.

Of course, that opens things up for my Dolphins bias to cloud some of my predictions, but I will try my hardest to stay neutral. As always, just take everything with a grain of salt. And feel free to post your own preseason all-AFC first-team in the comments section.

Offense

QB: Tom Brady, Patriots
HB: Shonn Green, Jets
FB: Lousaka Polite, Dolphins
WR: Randy Moss, Patriots
WR: Brandon Marshall, Dolphins
TE: Dustin Keller, Jets
LT: Jake Long, Dolphins
OG: Brandon Moore, Jets
C: Nick Mangold, Jets
OG: Stephen Neal, Patriots
RT: Vernon Carey, Dolphins 

HB2: Ronnie Brown, Dolphins
Slot: Wes Welker, Patriots

Defense

DE: Shaun Ellis, Jets
NT: Vince Wilfork, Patriots
DE: Kendall Langford, Dolphins
OLB: Calvin Pace, Jets
ILB: David Harris, Jets
ILB: Karlos Dansby, Dolphins
OLB: Cameron Wake, Dolphins
CB: Darrelle Revis, Jets
FS: Jarius Byrd, Bills
SS: Yeremiah Bell, Dolphins
CB: Sean Smith, Dolphins

Special Teams

K: Dan Carpenter, Dolphins
P: Brian Moorman, Bills
KR: Brad Smith, Jets
PR: Roscoe Parrish, Bills

Okay, so it's hard to hide my bias, but I think you could make an argument for all of these Dolphins making the actual all-division team at the conclusion of the season. Probably not all together, but hey, it doesn't hurt to be a little optimistic this time of year, right?

As much as we want to talk about the pass rush, the young secondary, and Mike Nolan's first year as defensive coordinator, is there any doubt the biggest make or break factor on this defense is Randy Starks' ability to move inside to nose tackle? After all, a 3-4 defense is only as good as it's nose allows it to be.

Considering Starks has only seen limited action at the nose tackle position, and that his size indicates he is a prototypical defensive end in the scheme, there's always the possibility this move tanks, which would all but guarantee the defense as a whole has another mediocre season at best.

Given the track record of this regime's prior nose tackles, though, there's plenty of reason to be optimistic. First of all, in Dallas, Parcells enlisted the undersized Jay Ratliff (6'4, 303) to anchor the defensive line, and he is now considered by many one of the better noses in the game. Secondly, the recently retired Jason Ferguson, who played an instrumental role in enabling Miami to switch to the 3-4 with relative ease two years ago, weighs in at 310 pounds- a mere five pounds heavier than Starks.

So, while Starks' switch carries some uncertainty and has to be considered somewhat of a gamble, there's no reason to think Parcells and company are taking a shot in the dark here. It just seems like the Parcells' mold for nose tackle is a bit smaller than the rest of the league, which is not consistent at all with how he typically views every other position, but nonetheless, is something that has been successful in the past, and surely can be again, given the caliber of player Starks has become.

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Randy Starks: Given how well Starks played last season at defensive end, this regime must really be sold on his ability to play nose tackle to sacrifice that production for a transition inside. Pro Football Focus ranked his 09' performance second among all 3-4 defensive ends, and his 7 sacks was tied for the most at the position. If he can be just as successful at the nose, although his stats are sure to decline, the switch will be a smart one considering nose tackle is more valuable to the 3-4 than defensive end.

For the 3-4 to be successful, you need a double team commanding nose freeing up space for the linebackers to make plays on the ball carrier. Mike Nolan, however, reportedly will shake things up a bit. Instead of lining up directly over the center, some expect Nolan to place Starks in the gap to the right or left in order to produce some interior penetration and pass rush.

Given Starks' athleticism for his size, that philosophy would make a lot of sense, even though it's difficult to predict how that would hold up against some of the better rushing attacks in the league. In the event things get ugly, though, you can't put much blame on Starks. While a guy like Albert Haynesworth has thrown a fit over the Redskins' switch to the 3-4, despite being a $100 million man, Randy Starks has handeled the Dolphins' wishes to move him inside with nothing but class.