The Miami Dolphins will be under the watch of former San Diego Chargers’ offensive coordinator Cam Cameron this season. He won’t have the talent to work with that he did in San Diego, but the Dolphins are hoping that his offensive wizardry coupled with a solid defensive unit can produce a major turnaround. Find out if the Dolphins will sink or swim in this 2007 NFL Preview for Point-Spreads.com.
The Nick Saban’s reign as Dolphins head man ended with nothing much to show for himself. After only two seasons and a disappointing 15-17 record, Saban stunned owner Wayne Huizenga by resigning to take the University of Alabama head coaching job. Hopefully college will treat him better than the big leagues. Sportsbook.com has the Miami Dolphins 55 to 1 odds to win Super Bowl XLII
In Saban’s place, Huizenga authorized General Manager Randy Mueller to find him a new head coach and he came through with Cam Cameron, a bright offensive mind who directed the league’s highest scoring offense in San Diego. Hopefully Cameron is just what the doctor ordered to oversee the makeover of this franchise. The number one priority for Cameron and company is to find a starting quarterback, something Saban failed miserably to do. With a rebuilt offensive line and several aging defenders, this appears to be a team in transition in 2007. If Miami plays .500 ball this year, Cameron will be hailed as a god in South Beach.
Cameron likes to spread the ball around, using timing patterns, and doesn’t throw the ball deep too often, but he will open up the offense depending on the deep throwing accuracy of his quarterback. He doesn’t have a tight end in Miami who can catch the ball like Antonio Gates, so he may have to compensate by using the wide receiver more than he did in San Diego. It’s really not going to matter who he wants to throw to unless he can find an adequate quarterback to get the job done. Chances are, the spoiled Miami fans who had Dan Marino under center for so long, will not be happy with anything that’s currently on the roster.
Cameron also is a master of trick plays as is his tight end coach Mike Mularkey. It might take several of these stunners to pull off some upsets in 2007. My advice for Cameron is to hold nothing back. Cameron has worked with offensive line coach Hudson Houck before when they both were in San Diego, so the two should be on the same page from the outset. This might help make his transition to a new team an easier one.
One of the biggest moves the Dolphins made during the offseason was retaining ace coordinator Dom Capers, who helped Miami’s “D” finish fourth overall last season. The problem was that the offense was so bad that not too many people even realized how tough Miami’s “D” was. Look for Capers to continue bringing pressure out of a base 3-4 defense. Defensive end Jason Taylor is the defending NFL Defensive Player of the Year and should finally get some help by the addition of ex-Steelers outside linebacker Joey Porter. Porter is very familiar with Capers’ systems as he has thrived in the one that Capers installed in Pittsburgh.
This defense is getting older and I’m afraid guys like Taylor and middle likebacker Zach Thomas may have missed their window as the offense is likely several year away and some solid draft choices and free agent pick-ups away from a major turnaround.
San Diego Chargers 5-1
Indianapolis Colts 7-1
Chicago Bears 16-1
Baltimore Ravens 25-1
Pittsburgh Steelers 30-1
Cincinnati Bengals 25-1
Denver Broncos 25-1
Philadelphia Eagles 18-1
Dallas Cowboys 25-1
Carolina Panthers 25-1
Seattle Seahawks 18-1
New Orleans Saints 18-1
New York Giants 35-1
Jacksonville Jaguars 30-1
Kansas City Chiefs 60-1
New York Jets 40-1
Miami Dolphins 55-1
Tennessee Titans 60-1
Atlanta Falcons 60-1
Buffalo Bills 100-1
Washington Redskins 40-1
Arizona Cardinals 40-1
Saint Louis Rams 50-1
Tampa Bay Buccaneers 45-1
San Francisco 49ers 20-1
Minnesota Vikings 50-1
Green Bay Packers 40-1
Houston Texans 100-1
Oakland Raiders 75-1
Cleveland Browns 100-1
Detroit Lions 100-1
