The question marks surrounding the Dolphins' defense make it difficult to predict just how improved, or not, the unit will be under Mike Nolan. Those uncertainties are not void of hope, however. Outside linebacker is no different. The upside of this group is promising, but just the fact that their will be an unproven starter on both the strong and weak side, is enough to induce some stress for those depending on Nolan to transform one of the lower ranked defenses in football, to one of the better ones, in the same fashion he did in Denver.

The pass rush has to come from somewhere, after all. Vontae Davis and Sean Smith are expected to make strides in year two, but they can't cover all day. No, they will be in dire need for pressure on the quarterback, not only to improve a bottom-feeder pass defense, but to start becoming the ball-hawking tandem they are capable of becoming.

One of the biggest factors to Nolan's transformation in Denver was the emergence of Elvis Dumervil. The undersized outside linebacker accounted for a league-leading 17.0 sacks last season, a year after only notching 5.0. Give some props to Dumervil for becoming an elite pass rusher, but also give some credit where credit is due. Mike Nolan's aggressive scheme got the most out of him, and for the Dolphins to have similar success, they could sure use an elite pass rusher to develop overnight.

The most likely candidate is none other than Cameron Wake. The "Earth Wake" dazzled fans with flashes of dominance on pass rush situations, but needs to fine tune the other elements of his game to earn an every down role in training camp. Opposite Wake, Miami will likely be trusting rookie Koa Misi to start on the strong side.

If we indeed do get a Misi-Wake starting duo, the potential is not lacking, but experience won't be the unit's strength. The Dolphins need both to live up their expectations. If not, fans will be left asking why the front office let Jason Taylor walk to the team's most hated rival.

Safe

Koa Misi: Misi was thrown into the fire for most of the offseason, getting reps with the first team right away. He doesn't have the pass rushing ceiling that Wake does, but he projects to cover and stop the run more effectively. There were contradicting reports this spring about how well he performed with the starting defense in OTA's, but none of that really matters now.

Even though he's expected to start, he still needs to bring it from day one in camp. A lackluster camp, and Charlie Anderson could easily steal his spot if he doesn't take care of Wake on the other side.

Cameron Wake: Potential is one thing. Actually living up to the expectations that come with it, is another. In reality, we haven't seen enough of Wake to know if he can be a Pro Bowl caliber pass rusher, or not. He showed signs in 09', but who knows if he can even maintain that pass rushing pace with every down reps.

People around the media are starting to throw his name out there as someone who could break out this season, and that is all well and good, but he needs to win a starting job before we can even begin to go that far. Because, honestly, if the Dolphins had to play the Bills today, Charlie Anderson would get the nod. Anderson got the first-team reps for all but a couple practice sessions that were open to the media. That likely says more about Wake's stagnant progress in coverage and run defense than Anderson's ability to be a quality starter.

The Dolphins probably need to see significant improvement from Wake in those aspects, to trust him on first and second down. And you could argue, Mike Nolan needs those improvements to become a reality if he has a chance at turning around this defense in one season, like he did in Denver.

Charlie Anderson: I would love to be wrong about Anderson, but from what I've seen, he isn't a quality starter, only a solid backup. He had one productive game last season, when he notched two sacks against the Buc's in relief duty for the disgruntled Joey Porter, but it's going to take a whole lot more than one game to prove he has what it takes to be the guy.

If he does win the job, however, I will be convinced it's because Cameron Wake has no clue how to do anything but pass rush. If that happens, how in the world can you justify letting Jason Taylor go?

When it rains it pours. And for all intents and purposes, the bad news keeps pouring on Dolphins' defensive end Phillip Merling. Two days after officially being charged with a felony, stemming from allegedly hitting his pregnant girlfriend, Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk is reporting that Merling has suffered an Achilles' tendon injury.

The severity of the injury has not been specified, but the nature of Achilles' tendon injuries are extremely serious, regardless of it's a sprain, tear, or rupture. Obviously, Merling's 2010 status was already up in the air as he faces a likely suspension from the league and a possible release from the Dolphins. This latest news all but closes the book on Merling's season, and possibly his career in Miami.

Although, the source is reporting that the injury could be non-football related, which would make sense because we didn't hear of him getting hurt in any OTA or minicamp workout. If that's the case, the Dolphins could choose not to pay his $600,000 salary this upcoming season.

Putting Merling on the IR without pay, while his legal issues and any disciplinary actions by the league are worked out, could be enough incentive to keep him around. But then again, Merling's whole situation has gotten just about as ugly as it gets. Now, is as good of time as any to cut ties and move on.

A day after the Dolphins locked up their third-round pick John Jerry, the Miami Herald is reporting that the team has already offered contracts to first-round pick Jared Odrick and second-round pick Koa Misi.

While most teams wait for the slotting process to take it's course, this front office appears set on getting everybody signed and in camp. Which could be a necessary move, considering both Odrick and Misi may be called upon to start right off the bat. Neither will be handed anything, but both are favored to win their camp competitions.

Misi doesn't have much to beat out talent-wise, as Charlie Anderson and Quentin Moses are probably nothing more than decent backups, and Phillip Merling's felony charges, which should warrant at least a suspension, but could lead to his flat out release, significantly bolster Odrick's chances at cracking the starting lineup.

The fact that Miami is likely relying on Odrick and Misi's immediate production, is undoubtedly playing a large role in getting their offers on the table so soon, but really, this regime has always handled their rookie negotiations this way.

The Parcells' regime has yet to allow an ugly, lengthy rookie holdout, which would do nothing but distract the team in a portion of the season where team mending is of utmost importance.

This team is flying high after a brilliant offseason of personnel moves, and expectations haven't been this high in years. A rookie holdout by a player who is also a likely starter, would do nothing but halt some of that momentum.

So, let's just hope these reports are indeed true, and both Odrick and Misi are seen battling it out for a starting job come that first practice session. If that's the case, how can you not love the way this regime does business? Just another reason to be thankful for the men who are running this team, and to be confident they are taking the Dolphins in the right direction.

Earlier today, the Dolphins agreed to terms with third-round selection John Jerry. The deal is reportedly for four years, and worth $2.64 million with a $858,000 signing bonus. This latest rookie singing leaves the Dolphins with only two unsigned draft choices from this year's class. First-round pick Jared Odrick and second-round pick Koa Misi still remain unsigned, but negotiations should begin to heat up in the coming days.

Jerry is thought to be in the competition at left guard, and many feel he's the favorite to beat out Cory Procter. He reportedly had a fantastic offseason, but as we all know, things can change in a hurry when the physical part of the game comes into effect, especially for an offensive lineman.

This organization's disdain for injuries is obvious by now. Parcells has never tolerated injuries, and personnel moves like the trading of Justin Smiley are evidence for that mindset. The competition at center that is scheduled to go down this training camp, is no exception.

In 2008, despite having one of the more talented running back duos in football, the Dolphins struggled to run the ball between the tackles. These struggles were a motivating factor in the rebirth of the single-wing formation, better known as the wildcat. It took the misdirection, and the mystery the wildcat brings to the table, to get the running game going.

Last season, the front office addressed this issue by signing former Raider center Jake Grove. Grove instantly provided some running room up the middle, and played a large role in helping Miami improve from the 11th ranked rushing attack in 08' to 4th overall last season.

Things were gong along smoothly until Grove hurt his ankle against Carolina and was sidelined for the last four games of the year. Joe Berger stepped in for Grove, and prevented much of a drop off. The Dolphins run game dwindled some down the stretch, but Ricky Williams being forced into a workhorse role, and wearing down in the process, was likely the primary reason, not Berger's play.

Berger performed well enough for the coaching staff to declare the center position an open competition, but if Grove can stay healthy, he should keep his job, in my opinion.

Safe

Joe Berger: Berger's performance in relief duty the final four games of the season, was solid enough to secure at least a backup role in 2010. If he can close the drop off gap between him and Grove even more this training camp, he could not only win the job because of his competition's injury prone past, but because he is a less expensive alternative. If Berger were to win the job, the Dolphins could chose to free up some cash by disposing of Grove, who was brought to Miami on a 5-year $29.5 million deal.

Possible Cuts

Jake Grove: Grove may be injury prone, and more expensive than Berger, but when he's healthy, you could arguably say he's worth every penny. The Dolphins could try and save some money by replacing Grove with Berger, but that's risky business considering they are only a year removed from having to draw up plays from the 1940's to get a running game going.

Not to hate on the wildcat, of course; it's been a huge part of what the Dolphins do for two years now. But when you have to get that creative to run the ball, you probably need to shake things up on the interior of the line. And to put how solid Grove was into perspective, Pro Football Focus gave him the 4th best rating of any center in all of football. Taking it a step further, the guy Grove replaced, Samson Satele, was slotted all the way back at 37th out of 38 listed centers, for the job he did in 2008. Enough said.

Predictions

Depth Chart
1. Jake Grove
2. Joe Berger

Countdown to Camp: 10 days