Updated: May 1, 2011
Quarterback:
1 – Chad Henne
If there ever was a quarterback on the hot seat, Chad Henne would say his is the warmest. Indeed, Ryan Mallett fever almost caused a riot in Miami when they passed on the risky rookie. The Dolphins got Henne a weapon in Brandon Marshall (5.0 overall rating) last year, and they managed the 3rd-ranked pass-blocking offensive line (15.5), yet Henne made no improvement, posting a 15:19 TD:INT ratio. Miami drafted some more nice weapons for Henne, but he may not get a chance to try them out if the Dolphins sign or trade for a veteran.
2 – Tyler Thigpen (RFA)
Tyler was thrown into the fire when Chad Henne was briefly injured in 2010. In the three games where he saw significant action, he posted a respectable 6.7 rating, which is prorated to 35.7 for a full 16 games, over 10 points better than Henne. His completion percentage was an awful 53%, but the Dolphins want to get more mobile at QB, so why not give Thigpen an honest shot?
3 – Tom Brandstater
Reserve/Future contract
Running Back:
1 – Daniel Thomas (R)
When Thomas went off the board with Mallett still around, an uproar was heard in Dolfanland. Thomas was the #3 back on their board, though, and the big back will benefit greatly from the system into which he was drafted. In two seasons as the Kansas State starter, he amassed 2850 yards (5.2 YPC) and 30 TDs to go along with 52 catches for 408 yards. Buyers beware: expect him to share the load with whomever the Dolphins sign to complement him. He should be toward the top of your dynasty rookie draft board, though, regardless of his timeshare.
2 – Ricky Williams (UFA)
Williams has entered the twilight of his career, and has made it clear he wants to play for a contender. Although he was near the bottom of the league with a -3.5 rating on 481 snaps, Ricky did have 639 yards and 2 TDs on 41 less carries than Ronnie Brown. Being that they shared the same woeful rush blocking, it is no surprise their numbers are not far off from each other. It is appears less likely the Dolphins will re-sign him as they are reportedly interested in many other free agent backs.
3 – Lex Hilliard
A favorite of Jeff Ireland, Hilliard could find himself in a timeshare with Thomas unless the Dolphins sign another veteran to complement the rookie.
4 – Kory Sheets
5 – Ronnie Brown (UFA)
Daniel Thomas’ arrival in South Florida likely means Brown will not be re-signed.
Fullback:
1 – Lousaka Polite
Miami’s short-yardage specialist went from the #2-rated FB in 2009 (11.0) to the #27 FB in 2010 (-9.5), which was partially the reason for the decline of the rushing game in Miami. Charles Clay could be cutting into his playing time, and there was already zero fantasy value there.
Wide Receiver:
1 – Brandon Marshall
When the Dolphins traded a 2nd-rounder and signed Marshall to a giant contract, Miami’s offensive expectations went through the roof. Perhaps a product of the offense, or at least the quarterback – Henne targeted receivers 20+ yards out just 9% of the time, near the bottom of the league – Marshall had a down year after several excellent seasons in Denver. Despite missing two games, he was still targeted 132 times. His catch rate was a pedestrian 65.2%, though, including 13 drops, which topped the league. His biggest problem was his lack of scores, which should regress positively in 2011 regardless of quarterback. With Gates and Clay in town, Marshall could have more room to operate.
2 – Davone Bess
The Hawaii product has become a solid PPR option, scoring 191 points in 2010. He has been compared to Wes Welker, and with better quarterback play, could be a sleeper to jump in to the top 20 WRs for next season. Early in the season, he was being underutilized, but wound up being on the field for 679 snaps. He should be a big part of the offense next season.
3 – Brian Hartline
Hartline quietly turned in a decent season, registering a 1.9 rating before getting knocked out for the season. With the Dolphins drafting Edmond Gates, there is little fantasy value Hartline will bring, unless you are in a huge (16+ team) league.
4 – Edmond Gates (R)
The burner from Abilene Christian was coveted by many teams as a stretch-the-field player. He may well supplant Brian Hartline as the WR3 before the season begins.
5 – Marlon Moore
The Dolphins were hoping Moore could develop into a stretch-the-field kind of guy. His woeful -3.8 rating and 33.8% catch rate in limited duty do not bode well for him, not to mention the arrival of Gates in South Florida.
6 – Julius Pruitt
7 – Roberto Wallace
The Panamanian devil logged 90 snaps, catching 6 balls on 10 targets for 62 yards. He could climb the depth chart with a great offseason.
8 – Brooks Foster
Reserve/Future contract
9 – Patrick Carter
Reserve/Future contract
Tight End:
1 – Anthony Fasano
Although Fasano was the 4th-rated TE at 12.7, his fantasy impact was nowhere near that level. Fasano was targeted just 55 times last season, catching 39 of those passes for 528 yards and 4 TDs. His block-first mentality has prompted the Dolphins to draft a more athletic, pass-catching TE in Charles Clay. Fasano is barely worth a TE2 slot on your fantasy team, if you are desperate.
2 – Charles Clay (R)
The Dolphins were looking to get more athletic at the tight end position, and they did just that by drafting Charles Clay. A versatile player, Clay will likely play in the Chris Cooley mold, lining up in the backfield and split wide on many occasions. He may have more fantasy value than Fasano when all is said and done.
3 – Mickey Shuler
Played on just 123 snaps, being targeted 5 times. He may be in on multiple tight end formations, mostly for blocking purposes.
4 – Jeron Mastrud
Logged 168 snaps, but did not register any receiving statistics. He rated an abysmal -8.6 in that limited duty.
5 – Dedrick Epps
A midseason pickup in 2010, the former Hurricane was in on just 26 snaps late in the season, with no receiving statistics.
Kicker:
1 – Dan Carpenter
Carpenter was a kicking superstar for a big stretch last season. The reason? The Dolphins could not punch it in to the end zone from inside the 20. Carpenter is an accurate kicker from short- to mid-range, one who could be in the top 10 fantasy scorers for 2011.
Questions and comments are always welcome via Twitter – @PFF_Alex
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