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

With news of defensive end Phillip Merling officially facing felony charges for aggravated battery on a woman he should have known was pregnant, a possible suspension hangs in the balance.

The ongoing trial, which could warrant Roger Godell to issue disciplinary action, combined with reports suggesting Merling was already on "thin ice" before the incident, and the fact that he's been a disappointment on the field ever since being selected by Miami in the second-round of the 08' draft, could be enough for the Dolphins to cut ties with the third-year veteran.

And really, regardless of the depth Merling would bring to defensive end, it's probably necessary for someone on this team to at least get a slap on the wrist with all the nonsense that has been going on this offseason. The hype generating personnel moves made by this front office have overshadowed this team's legal troubles, culminated by four arrest (Tony McDaniel, Will Allen, Ronnie Brown, Phillip Merling) and more possible chargers on the way, with Brian Hartline's recent mishaps off I-595.

Someone needs to get either suspended or released, so our conscience can let us love this football team again, because I don't think any fan truly wants to root for a bunch of thugs every Sunday. Of the troubled players mentioned, the nature of Merling's charges surely makes him the most likely culprit for disciplinary action, whether that be a suspension, release, or both.

Tony McDaniel is a lesser known backup, who's domestic violence accusation carries less relevance. Will Allen and Ronnie Brown meanwhile, are first time DUI offenders, who have always been perceived as high-character guys in the past. Merling on the other hand, allegedly hit a pregnant woman.

The words cowardly and spineless fail to give Merling's actions, if true, justice. You can't simply sweep something like that under the rug. There needs to be a consequence. And if you have any class or moral obligation at all, even if you are a die-hard Dolphins fan who fully realizes Merling could provide an excellent three-man rotation at defensive end, you have to hope something is done-either by the league or the team.

You can argue that once camp kicks off in a little under two weeks, the most intriguing storyline will be the competition at both guard spots. It may surprise you that an offensive line who produced the league's fourth best rushing attack could have two new guards crack the starting lineup, but the fact of the matter is, Miami has had a hard time running the ball between the tackles the past couple years.

Center Jake Grove helped that cause immensely last year, coming over from Oakland in the offseason, but the former line coach in Sparano could easily spot where upgrades needed to be made. Justin Smiley, when healthy, wasn't exactly a player who needed to be replaced from a production standpoint, but the injuries he has sustained over his career and the fact that there were legitimate concerns about his shoulder never being the same again, gave the Dolphins enough incentive to search for his replacement.

The front office addressed both positions this offseason, when they signed the talented, but troubled Richie Incognito, brought over Cory Procter from Dallas, and drafted Ole Miss' John Jerry in the third round. Will this interior line makeover produce a much more stable rushing attack? Or will Miami quickly miss the services of Justin Smiley?

Safe

Richie Incognito: A player like Brandon Marshall comes to Miami with some off-field baggage. Richie Incognito, however, comes to town with on-field baggage, derived from a hot-temper that has motivated him to frequently commit dumb personal foul penalties, including the notorious head butt.  

Putting Richie in the starting lineup would definitely have it's risks, considering penalties of the 15-yard variety quickly kill drives. But if he can somehow harness some of that emotion, and use that anger to feed his already nasty streak in a strictly legal fashion, there's plenty of upside to this move.

Because the guy is an exceptional run blocker, and has the ability to bolster an already top five running game. Many consider him the favorite to win the job at right guard too. He's been battling Donald Thomas throughout OTA's, but you really can't have a competition on the offensive line when hitting is prohibited. My guess is, Richie runs away with this thing, if he can keep his head....to himself.

John Jerry: Jerry wasted no time making a good impression on this coaching staff. The 6'5, 328 pound rookie saw first team reps almost the second he stepped in with the veterans, and rotated off and on all spring. If all he had to do was run block, he would probably be a lock to start, because the size and strength he brings to the table should translate into down-hill running for Ronnie and Ricky.

There are some concerns about his quickness though, with some experts suggesting he has "heavy feet." If he struggles in pass protection and pulling when need be, Cory Procter could become the favorite to snag the starting job at left guard.

Donald Thomas: After Thomas won the starting job in his rookie training camp, after being taken in the sixth round of the 2008 draft, many fans were proclaiming he was this regime's first late-round gem. He missed all of the 2008 season though, with a broken foot, but earned the starting job again in last year's camp.

Thomas started twelve games in 09', but struggled in pass protection and wasn't the plowing run blocker his strength suggested he would be. He hasn't been completely kicked off the starting lineup, but it would probably take a meltdown by Incognito to win the job at right guard.

Cory Procter: Procter comes to Miami as the icing on the cake in an outstanding offseason from a personnel standpoint. He has the versatility to play either guard or center, and has eleven games of starting experience under his belt with the Cowboys in 08'.

Even though he was getting starting reps every other workout in the spring, he only projects as a solid backup who significantly upgrades the Dolphins depth at the position. But he's a nice insurance policy if the rookie has his bumps in the road early on.

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?