The Patriots were not the only team in the AFC East to have an unbelievable run in 2007; the Dolphins had a not-so-magical season that almost ended with a doughnut in the win column. The Ravens, however, disrupted history by losing to the Dolphins 22-16 in overtime. Miami ownership wasted no time in trying to recover from their disastrous season. Cam Cameron was fired and Bill Parcells was brought in to head up personnel matters. 2008 will mark another fresh start for the team, but it will likely be full of growing pains.
Last season's offensive developments sparked Miami's front office to part ways with a number of veterans and try to rebuild the team through the draft. In all, the Dolphins saw seven offensive players depart and they welcomed 13 new players to the fold either via the draft or free agency. They took Michigan offensive tackle Jake Long with the first pick in the draft in an attempt to shore up a unit that ranked 23rd in rushing and 24th in passing. The team also picked up Chad Pennington to quarterback new Head Coach Tony Sparano's new run oriented offense.
After being a strong defensive team for a number of years, the unit folded last year like a cheap lawn chair. Miami gave up 27.3 points per game and yielding 153.5 yards per game rushing. Former stalwart Zack Thomas was let go in the off season and defensive end Jason Taylor was traded to the Redskins. It certainly appears that Parcells and Sparano are opting to get young and get there in a hurry. Miami fans are no doubt braced for the pains that are to come, but at least they can be confident that the team has a direction.
Prediction: 4th Place AFC East.
Get on board for an entire season of NFL Picks and College Football Predictions, we are prepped and ready to storm through the 2008 NFL schedule as well as the full slate of NCAA Football action.
Also, make sure you check out our live NFL Betting Odds feed which provides real time point spreads from the top internet sports books in the world, all in one easy to use location. Get line moves in real time and find out which NFL teams have the best betting odds.
