Buffalo Bills guard Richie Incognito was voted the NFL's Dirtiest Player last year by the folks who know…

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While the Dolphins netted a playmaker on defense with the addition of Cardinals tackling machine Karlos Dansby, they’re still in desperate need of one on offense.

It’s time for the Ted Ginn wait to end and for stubborn vice president of football operations Bill Parcells to go against his 22-year history of mostly neglecting receivers in the first round.

Other than Mark Ingram and Terry Glenn, a Parcells-led war room shuns receivers in Rd. 1, but that said, the Dolphins inability to score in big chunks last year eventually sapped the defense’s strength and led to several fourth-quarter collapses.

Despite the presence of a strong-armed quarterback in Chad Henne, the Dolphins managed just six touchdown passes to wide receivers, including just one to the underachieving…

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Former Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Larry Foote and outside linebacker Joey Porter both visited with…

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The Miami Dolphins need a No. 1 receiver, and they need one bad. 

With Anquan Boldin being traded to the Baltimore Ravens, Brandon Marshall and Miles Austin expensively tagged as restricted free agents, and Antonio Bryant signing with the Cincinnati Bengals, the market for help at the position has pretty much run dry.

One name is still out there though: Terrell Owens. Could a Bill Parcells-T.O. reunion be on the horizon?

There’s no denying the talent that Owens brings to the table, even at 36-years-old. While with the Buffalo Bills last season, he had 55 catches for 829 yards and 5 touchdowns, including a 197-yard week 11 performance against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Not to mention, he started the season slow.

Are those No. 1 receiver numbers? No, but it’s still better than any Dolphins wideout was able to accomplish. You have to remember Owens was also playing for the 30th ranked offense in the NFL. 

Buffalo fired their offensive coordinator just before the season, fired their coach midway through the season, and rotated at quarterback between Trent Edwards, Ryan Fitzpatrick, and Brian Brohm.

If Owens was able to put up respectable stats in a system like that, it’s a fair assumption to think he’s still capable of being a 1,000-yard receiver in this league with the right team.

Miami just isn’t that team, regardless of how well the fit looks on paper. Put the history between Dolphins Czar Bill Parcells and Owens out of the equation; they’re both professionals, and the past isn’t the issue.

Yes, they had a serious falling out in Dallas, and it’s one of the reasons Parcells was forced out of town. But personal dislike aside, Owens is just plain and simple the wrong type of player to have on your team.

There’s a reason no one besides Buffalo was willing to give him a chance last season. Terrell Owens may be one of the most talented and accomplished wide receivers in the history of the game, but on the flip side of that coin, he’s also one of the worst presences a team can have. 

He’s burned bridges, and insulted coaches and teammates from San Fransisco, Philadelphia, Dallas, and Buffalo. Calling him a cancer may take it a step too far, but there’s a reason people refer to T.O. that way. 

He’s the ultimate diva receiver. And even worse, his play doesn’t match the attitude anymore. Owens is still good, but he isn’t spectacular these days; he isn’t elite. But he still acts like he is and still demands the ball like it. 

Does Chad Henne really need the type of stress and baggage that comes with a player like that? 

Do the other receivers?

Does anyone on the Dolphins?

No, no, and no. Regardless of how great the team’s need for a playmaker is, Terrell Owens just cannot be the answer. Even if he comes in on his best behavior, it wouldn’t be long until his true colors showed. 

Miami needs to let someone else sign No. 81. Let them take the production and the headache that comes with it. 

Read more Miami Dolphins news on BleacherReport.com

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Now that the Miami Dolphins have added linebacker Karlos Dansby via free agency, the team will have more wiggle room when it comes time to make a selection with the 12th overall pick in the Draft.

Todd McShay and Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN have both adjusted their newest mock drafts accordingly. Before the start of free agency, the draft pundits had Miami selecting Alabama inside linebacker Rolando McClain in round one.

With he and Dansby essentially playing the same position, Kiper and McShay are now inclined to believe the Dolphins will instead go after defensive tackle Dan Williams from Tennessee.

The selection would serve as a solution to Miami’s most glaring need, so it makes sense that Williams is being linked to the team.

The Dolphins’ incumbent starting nose tackle, 35-year-old Jason Ferguson,is suspended for the first eight games of the regular season for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

With Ferguson out of the picture for half the season and no real solution as to who will shore up the middle of the defensive line, its no secret the Dolphins are in the market for his replacement.

At the Senior Bowl in January, Miami’s coaching staff was awarded the honor of coaching the South team and were able to get a close look at a lot of players entering April’s Draft. 

Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano raved about Williams throughout the week’s practice and again after the game. The Fins loved what he brought to the table on and off the field.

Williams is intelligent, he listens, learns, and does everything asked of him. At 6′2″ 329 lbs, he has the size and strength needed to command the all-important double-team every good nose tackle must make. 

In a 3-4 defense, the success of the unit begins and ends along the line, primarily at nose tackle. If you can’t get a consistent push up front, it all falls apart. 

The defense won’t be able to stop the run successfully, the pass rush will falter, and the secondary and linebackers will be exposed in coverage. 

Don’t believe the effect is as drastic as it seems? Just take a look at the Dolphins’ defensive stats in the games they played without Ferguson in 2009.

Miami went 2-5 without their starting nose tackle and after losing him to I.R. in week 11, everything unraveled and they played themselves right out of the playoff race.

If you discount the Dolphins’ 14-10 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in week 14–a game that was truly offensively challenged–the numbers in the remaining six contests without Ferg are staggering.

Miami gave up an average of 27 points and 398 yards. 

If you wipe away the Dolphins’ 46-34 loss to the New Orleans Saints in week seven, the remaining eight contests with Ferguson starting paint a picture of the difference between having and not having a dependable nose tackle. 

Miami gave up an average of 22 points and 321.2 yards.

The stats don’t lie. The Dolphins’ suspect defense became an awful one. The 3-4 was useless without it’s nose tackle, and Paul Soliai proved he couldn’t handle the lion’s share after Ferg went down. 

Enter Dan Williams into the discussion.

He has elite strength, and plays low and balanced. He’s a bull-rusher that will collapse the pocket around opposing quarterbacks. He has great feet, commands a constant double-team, and will overpower almost anyone in a one-on-one battle. 

To paint the big picture, he’s pretty close to the complete package for a nose tackle. All the intangibles are there, there’s just some polishing to be done. A guy like Williams may prove the answer at the Dolphins’ most glaring need for the next decade. 

It may be a bit of a reach to grab him as high as 12th overall, especially if guys like Dez Bryant or McClain are on the board. Both of them are elite talents that will probably turn into All-Pros where ever they end up. 

But even though the mantra is talent over need, when its close, sometimes need just outweighs its counterpart. 

The Dolphins need a nose tackle. Would they be insane to overextend just a bit for Williams? 

If he solves their problems up front you wouldn’t hear to many complaints about it.

 

Read more Miami Dolphins news on BleacherReport.com

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After winning the division last year, the Patriots’ main competitors are the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets.

This is being done pre-draft, so outlooks may certainly change depending on draft manipulation/drafting by teams.

The ‘Phins were middle of the pack last year in terms of rushing defense, at number 18 in the NFL in total rush defense, allowing 1,835 yards.

For the Dolphins’ organization, fixing their sub par rush defense was of great importance. They went out and signed linebacker Karlos Dansby, who last year totaled 101 sacks and an interception, along with a sack.

Dansby is a very threatening player, as he is a force against rushers with sure tackling abilities, and has had success in bringing down the quarterback prior to last season (‘06, eight sacks and ‘08 four sacks).

One of Miami’s biggest in-season issues has been addressed by the team, and as we move towards the NFL draft, the Dolphins can focus on improving pass defense or even bring in new offensive players to rally around young quarterback Chad Henne.

Read Full Story at New England Sports Online

Read more Miami Dolphins news on BleacherReport.com

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The Miami Dolphins cut ties with incumbent starting free safety Gibril Wilson after just one season, lost out in their bids for free agents Antrel Rolle and Ryan Clark, and now face the reality that the position must be addressed via the draft.

The unrestricted free agent market has run bare and outside of restricted free agent O.J. Atogwe from the Saint Louis Rams, there isn’t much talent available on the market.

This year’s Draft features a deep class of safeties though. Somewhere in the first few rounds of selections, the Dolphin’s 2010 starter may be lurking.

On the current roster, Chris Clemons displayed some promise in his rookie year, but he probably isn’t ready to permanently take over duties at the free.

Beyond Eric Berry of Tennessee the other safeties available in the Draft might not be able to come in and immediately standout, but they could at the very least push the level of competition with Clemons.

Beyond nose tackle, outside linebacker and free safety are the most pressing needs on Miami’s roster. Though the Dolphin’s would love to add a wide receiver, the fact of the matter is they have guys who can get them by at least for now.

Miami simply doesn’t have those options at linebacker and safety. If the season started today, they’d be in serious trouble.

Expect that to be heavily addressed in the Draft. The Dolphins will likely walk away with both needs filled by the end of round four.

With that note, here’s a look at the top five safeties that will be on Miami’s radar on Draft day.

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The Bengals have decided which potential big-time target to put opposite Chad Ochocinco, and unfortunately for…

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MIAMI – Nose tackle Jason Ferguson has been re-signed by the Miami Dolphins, even though he faces a suspension for the first eight games of this season.

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Nose tackle Jason Ferguson has been re-signed by the Miami Dolphins, even though he faces a suspension for the first eight games of this season. The Dolphins announced the signing Tuesday in a news release that made no reference to Ferguson's suspension last week for violating the NFL's policy on performance-enhancing substances.