INDIANAPOLIS – Former Miami Dolphins quarterback Bob Griese said there weren’t bounties on quarterbacks in his day.

That’s because back in the 1970s, knockout attempts were so routine they didn’t merit extra payment.

“Everybody would try to get the quarterbacks out of the game back then,” Griese said. “They weren’t getting paid for it. They would just try to knock you out.”

The NFL recently punished the New Orleans Saints heavily for running a bounty program that paid players to injure opponents. Before being honoured with a Thomas A. Brady, M.D. Lifetime Achievement Award on Thursday, Griese said the notch in the belt for a hard hit was enough for defensive players. He said the emphasis back then was on contact rather than forcing fumbles.

“In today’s game, these defensive ends come around, if they’ve got a blind shot at you, they’re not going to try to hit you in the back and try to take you out of the game, they’re going to slap the ball out of your hand,” the Hall of Famer said. “Back then, Deacon Jones was coming, Ben Davidson was coming, all those guys. They were saying ‘I got (Joe) Namath last week, I got Griese this week.’”

Jones got his knockout in 1972 while playing for the San Diego Chargers. Jones and Ron East broke Griese’s ankle and caused him to miss most of the regular season. Griese returned to lead the Dolphins in the playoffs and helped them become the first and only team to go unbeaten and win a Super Bowl.

Griese knows it never was personal.

“It wasn’t malicious, it was just hard hitting,” he said. “There were no bounties. They kind of knew that if you knock the quarterback out of the game, you had a pretty good chance of winning.”

Now, the former Purdue University quarterback says the game is safer.

“The game has evolved and the rules have changed,” he said. “It’s what people want. It’s because the rules have changed and they are protecting the quarterback. You don’t want your quarterback knocked out. You want him in there every week, all season long, so you’re not watching some third-string guy wishing you had Peyton Manning in there.”

That undefeated season still brings back fond memories for Griese. He said he recently spoke with Don Shula, who coached the Dolphins back then, and they reflected on how long their record has stood.

“We were just together the other day, and we were just kind of looking at each other and saying, ‘Can you believe it’s been 40 years?’”

The New England Patriots nearly went undefeated and won a Super Bowl after the 2007 season. Griese remembers watching the Giants’ Super Bowl-winning touchdown drive that kept the Dolphins alone in the record books.

“When he (Plaxico Burress) caught that touchdown pass in the end zone, there was still some time left on the clock,” he said. “I’m sitting at home, watching in my office, and phone starts ringing, the emails start coming in. I said wait, there’s still 35, 40 seconds left.”

The Giants held on and became Griese’s second-favourite team.

“I didn’t think the Giants could beat them,” he said. “I thought the Patriots would go unbeaten for sure. But now, I’m a big Giants fan from now on.”

Griese said players from the 1972 team originally just thought of themselves as Super Bowl champions and didn’t think the unbeaten record was that big a deal. As the decades have passed, 17-0 has meant more.

“The more it’s gone on, we’ve thought, ‘oh, that must be something really special,’ and it really is,” Griese said. “It’s tough to go undefeated.”

___

Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter: www.twitter.com/cliffbruntap

First-round picks are like ice cream flavors. Everyone likes a different favorite.

Should Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill be Miami’s top target?

Some like it in a cone. Some like it in a cup. Some like nuts. Many prefer it with a topping.

You get the point? It all depends on your taste.

My preference is to not overdraft a player, selecting him higher than he’s rated because of need, and that a first-round pick have the potential to be a Pro Bowl players.

That is why, at this moment, my top choice for the Miami Dolphins is North Carolina defensive end Quinton Coples.

That’s right. Much like last season’s about face on Mike Pouncey, who eventually worked his way onto my Man Crush list after weeks of being blinded by my Gator bias, I’ve changed my tune on Coples based on good guidance, and a ton of additional film study.

Confession: I don’t scout talent for a living, so sometimes I have to be pointed in the right direction by people I trust. That’s happened with Coples, who clearly owned every offensive tackle he faced on the college level.

But it is easy to make the argument that the Dolphins should/could/would go in another direction with a few other picks if General Manager Jeff Ireland decided to stay at No. 8.

Here’s a list of the five possibilities for the Miami Dolphins at pick No. 8, and the pros and cons to pulling the trigger on each. And they are ranked based on my humble opinion.

1. UNC defensive end Quinton Coples

Pros: He’s disruptive! His combination of size, speed and athleticism can only be compared to Mario Williams and Julius Peppers. He consistently drives offensive linemen backwards, and hounds quarterbacks, which is evident from his 17.5 sacks the last two seasons.

Cons: He has a light switch which he turned on and off his senior season at North Carolina, which faced a team-wide motivation issue. His motor doesn’t run high all the time, which makes scouts question his work ethic and commitment to an elite player. He didn’t pursue every play on the opposite side. How much does the fact he doesn’t give it his all during games where he’s playing every snap concern you?

Survey says: Outside of quarterbacks, pressure players are the most in demand position in the NFL because the best way to get off the field these days is to disrupt the quarterback. Starting caliber defensive ends and linebackers, who have produced 20-plus college sacks, will be gone by round three. NFL teams will get them while they last.

2. Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill

Pros: He’s tall, very athletic, accurate, and possesses a strong arm. His footwork makes him the ideal fit for a west coast offense, and he already knows Mike Sherman’s offense considering they worked together at Texas A&M before Tannehill didn’t win enough games, and Sherman got fired.

Cons: He’s only started 19 college games as a quarterback, and that means he’s fairly raw. He often eyeballs his intended target, and might struggle reading the field in the NFL. Therefore, he might struggle with the speed of the game. It is clear he’d likely need time to develop, but the upside is obvious.

Survey says: He’s a first-round talent, just not a top-10 talent. However, Tannehill will be drafted higher than he should, just like most quarterbacks the past decade. The Browns and Dolphins are the two teams aggressively searching for quarterbacks. Kansas City is also in the mix, but they’ve got a huge investment in Matt Cassel and don’t have the time to develop a youngster considering Scott Pioli and Romeo Crennel are on borrowed time. That means if Miami or Cleveland takes Tannehill the other team can probably be patient picking from Brandon Weeden, Kirk Cousin and Brock Osweiler. But do these three quarterbacks have the same upside as Tannehill.

3. South Carolina defensive end Melvin Ingram

Pros: He’s the most explosive, quick twitch athlete in this 2012 draft. He’s versatile, and has the potential and athleticism to become a double-digit sack producer.

Cons: He’s small for his position, and has short arms. He’s also been fairly inconsistent early in his career before blowing up his senior season, recording 10 sacks. What happened to the rest of his college career?

Survey says: The scheme fit will be critical to Ingram’s success. He’s be a better fit in a 3-4 scheme, possibly producing double-digit sacks. But he could also struggle to get around elite tackles of the NFL. Considering we’re not sure which direction the Dolphins are headed considering they intend to remain a hybrid this could be a risky pick.

4. Stanford offensive guard David DeCastro

Pros: He’s an elite athlete, who leads the ranking for offensive linemen in most of the combine tests. His film is also amazing. He’s a dynamic pulling guard, which is definitely missing from the Dolphins offense.

Cons: Can the Dolphins really afford to invest a fourth first-round pick in an offensive lineman this decade, no matter how talented he is? Pick No. 8 is also relatively high to select an interior lineman.

Survey says: He’s a the fastest rising draft pick, a top 10 talent who will probably play in a number of Pro Bowls if he’s fortunate enough to play for a winning team. But the Dolphins can’t afford to put more resources into the offensive line, especially for a right guard, which is the easiest spot in the NFL to find. Miami can afford to wait to address that position in round four and on.

5. Notre Dame receiver Malcolm Floyd

Pros: He’s big, fast and physical. He has strong hands, and possesses the potential to become an alpha receiver if his route running improves.

Cons: He’s not explosive, and doesn’t always create separation. He also hasn’t faced press coverage much. He’s also been arrested three times for alcohol-related charges and Ireland generally stays away from players with troublesome character concerns early in the draft.

Survey says: The one position you can’t change with character concerns are receiver because those players generally have a diva DNA. A couple of rough games and things might turn sour with Floyd quickly. This is a very deep receiver draft, therefore it would be wise to wait till the second day to select playmakers.

So, if you’re making the pick, which of the five draft prospects would you target for the Dolphins?

The Miami Dolphins hosted a number of former Miami Hurricanes, Florida International and Florida Atlantic players at the team’s Davie facility for its annual local Pro Day.

Each NFL team is allowed to invite local draft prospects to a combine style camp that features workouts, interviews, medical tests, and black board work. But the prospects must be from a nearby college or university, or live within a 40-mile radius for the visit to not count against the team’s 30 in-house visits from draft prospects.

This year the Dolphins split the workouts up, hosting local colleges on Wednesday, and will workout local prospects on Thursday.

The Dolphins wouldn’t list which players participated, but I’m told “all of them” were there, referring to UM’s numerous draft prospects, which include receivers Tommy Streeter, Travis Benjamin, Laron Byrd, defensive lineman Olivier Vernon, Micanor Regis, Marcus Fortson, tight end Chase Ford, offensive lineman Brandon Washington, linebacker Sean Spence, quarterback Jacory Harris, and long snapper Chris Ivory.

I’m sure I left out a few.

Expected to attend Thursday’s workout is former Utah cornerback Conroy Black, who was rated the 44th best cornerback prospects by ProFootball Weekly, but is quietly moving up many draft boards.

Black is originally from Miramar, where he had 13 interceptions in three years for Everglades High School.

He’s been gaining some momentum on the scouting circuit after reportedly running a low 4.3 time in the 40-yard dash. He also did well in his agility drills and has decent size for his position.

Numerous teams have already worked Black out, or have scheduled workouts. The Dolphins clearly wanted an up close and personal look at this late-round prospect.

Despite what UM fans think, and what the team’s draft history proves, the Dolphins ALWAYS do their due diligence when it comes to investigating UM’s draft prospects.

Problem is the team’s position needs, and the player’s makeup has to match what the Dolphins are looking for.

This year it appears there are four Hurricanes who fit the criteria. Receiver Tommy Streeter and Travis Benjamin are both receivers the Dolphins covet because of their ability to stretch the field.

FIU’s Ty Hilton also fits the mold of the speedy, and athletic run-after-catch type receiver the Dolphins crave. At this time its unclear if Hilton participated in the workout, but the Dolphins could easily put him through drills at his school’s facility. There is no limit on the amount of draft prospects you workout at their facility.

Streeter is projected as a prospect worthy of a second-round pick, but Benjamin and Hilton should be on the board in day three.

Brandon Washington is one of this draft’s top rated offensive guards. Even though he could shed a few pounds (more like 20-30), Washington fits the athletic mold coach Joe Philbin is looking for from his offensive linemen.

And Olivier Vernon is the type of “pressure player” the Dolphins could invest a fourth-round pick in and unearth a gem of a prospect based on his raw athleticism.

So, if you had to pick one local prospect the Dolphins should draft, who would it be?

The Miami Dolphins continued its pickaxe campaign at what once was a perceived wall of secrecy.

Miami Dolphins coach Joe Philbin

On Tuesday, first-year coach Joe Philbin participated in a teleconference with season-ticket holders taking select questions from fans.

On multiple occasions since Philbin’s hire in January, the Dolphins have made Philbin, general manager Jeff Ireland, chief executive officer Mike Dee and owner Steve Ross available to fans and reporters to answer questions.

Here is a synopsis of Philbin’s key talking points during the 45-minute call:

* Philbin’s No. 1 goal taking over as Dolphins’ head coach was to assemble a coaching staff. He noted the success of offensive coordinator Mike Sherman and defensive coordinator Kevin Coyle. Philbin said the Dolphins tried to reach out to fans, and media members. He also mentioned his home is filled with a lot of moving boxes, and quipped he would welcome volunteers to assist in unpacking.

* On the West Coast Offense: Philbin said it’s an offense with a lot of diversity, one he hopes the Dolphins can utilize to stay unpredictable in games. He said he’s confident in his coaches’ ability to teach the offense, and his players’ ability to learn it.

* What about the Wildcat? Philbin said he spends the offseason studying opponents, and looking to adapt to newer trends. But regarding the Wildcat, he said, “Don’t know if we’re gonna turn into a Wildcat team.”

* On the wide receiving corps: Philbin was asked a few times about the Dolphins wide receivers. Basically, he said at this point he will look to develop the players currently on the roster. He did not rule out signing a free agent receiver, or using one of the Dolphins’ eight picks in the NFL draft to add one to the roster.

* On in-game coaching: Philbin said Sherman will call the game, but that all facets of coaching will use a collaborative approach. Philbin said he will help install the offensive game plan. “This is not gonna be a one-man operation on any side of the ball,” Philbin said.

* On taking advantage of Reggie Bush’s versatility: Philbin said Bush is very talented. The Dolphins want Bush to be a running back, but that he can do things as a wide receiver. Philbin said he wants to create mismatches. “With Reggie, we want to be multiple – not just hand the ball off to him,” Philbin said.

* On the quarterback position: Philbin said he’s pleased with Matt Moore, David Garrard and Pat Devlin. He said all three want to win the starting job, and all three are good locker room guys. He said Moore and Garrard have proven they can play winning football in the NFL. Philbin pointed to next Tuesday as the start of the Dolphins’ offseason program when the position battles will begin. “We haven’t promised anyone anything,” Philbin said welcoming the competitive environment. “…It’s gonna be fun.”

* On red-zone offense: Philbin said he wants to be aggressive in the red zone, but he also preached patience.  ”You have to take your shots, no question about it,” Philbin said. “…You have to be aggressive, but patient.”

* On this year’s expectations: Philbin wouldn’t commit to a win-loss total, or even predict a playoff berth or declare he has a Super Bowl roster. That would be foolish. He said it’s been his experience teams often forge their identity through adversity. “One of the great parts about my job, you’re never sure exactly what you have,” Philbin said. “…Your job as a coach is to get the maximum out of the players. To say we’re gonna be 7-9, 9-7 … we have a broader prospective at this point. This team has a lot of character. The key is how quickly we can forge this group into playing like a team.”

* What will be the Dolphins’ focus in the draft – offense or defense?: Philbin said it would likely be a combination of the two. He said the Dolphins are in final preparations, and focused on the final three weeks heading into the draft.

* On choosing to coach the Dolphins: Philbin said he interviewed for other NFL coaching jobs, but he picked the Dolphins because owner Steve Ross showed a commitment to winning in a first-class manner. Philbin said Ross vowed to do the things necessary to win the right way. And there was one more reason: “After being in Green Bay, I like palm trees,” Philbin said.

* More on wide receivers: Philbin said he wants his offense to be balanced, and he wants various players involved. He wants to spread the ball around. “It will make us less predictable, harder to defend,” Philbin said.

* On middle-round draft picks: Philbin said they can be the heart and soul of an NFL team. The Dolphins have two third-round picks this year. Generally, what he expects from middle-round picks is significant contribution starting in their second and third seasons.

Look for a full report on Philbin’s teleconference later from Omar Kelly.

Twitter | @IzzyGould
Email | igould@sunsentinel.com
Facebook | facebook.com/dolphinsbeat
Phone | 954.372.5504

One of the toughest aspects of my job at this point of the year is figuring out what’s real, what’s fake, what’s a smokescreen, and what’s the team’s true agenda.

Can the Dolphins afford to use another early draft pick on an offensive linemen?

It’s a game we play during draft season, when everyone in the NFL is trying to pump fake the other 31 teams, and use the media like a drum to create the desired tune.

It’s hard to disguise true team needs. Everyone in the world knows the Dolphins need another pass rusher and a quarterback to develop.

But some teams want the world to think one thing so they can do another. They want you to believe they are feeling a certain way about a quarterback – say Ryan Mallett – so they can really trade up to take a tailback (Daniel Thomas).

You have NO IDEA how many players are told they’ll be taken by the Dolphins is they are at such and such a spot! After five years on this job I just ignore that talk because its meaningless.

However, last week the Miami Dolphins sent mixed messages our way in regards to the offensive line.

General Manager Jeff Ireland expressed confidence the offensive line would be improved, but new coach Joe Philbin sounded the alarms of concern.

While all of South Florida is obsessed about what the Dolphins intend on doing at quarterback, Philbin was clearly stressing about how Miami can fix the leaky offensive line the team featured last season.

“My feeling as I watched the tape, the offensive line needs to get better if our quarterback position is going to play better, and so that’s going to be a priority,” Philbin said.

Philbin, a former offensive line coach in Green Bay and the University of Iowa, knows the Dolphins can’t afford to allow 52 sacks like the team did last season.

That was the third-most sacks allowed in the NFL, and the Dolphins led the NFL in sacks per passing play.

The Dolphins don’t intent on re-signing starting right tackle Marc Colombo and right guard Vernon Carey, who are both still unsigned. And Philbin has also requested Ireland finds him “more athletic offensive linemen.”

That means guys closer to 300 pounds than 330, and offensive linemen who have good 5-10-5 and L-drill times.

The Dolphins will also be switching to a “zone blocking scheme” this year, which will give the offensive line a different look than what we’ve seen from Tony Sparano’s unit most of the past four years. However, the Dolphins used a zone blocking scheme plenty last year, and it lead to Reggie Bush rushing for 1,086 yards in 15 games.

Gone are the days of “bigger is better,” approach, which focused on power and strength. Philbin’s looking for offensive linemen who can pull, and get down the field to make second-level blocks.

The switch to the new zone blocking scheme is one of the reasons the Dolphins quickly signed Artis Hicks in free agency. Hicks, who has started 71 games in his 10-year career, has played exclusively on West Coast Offense teams that utilize zone blocking. He played in it in Philadelphia, Minnesota, Washington and Cleveland.

“We added some depth with Artis Hicks. I think he’s started somewhere along the line of 70 games in his career. He’s certainly something we needed to address more depth at the tackle position,” Ireland said. “We got John Jerry returning. We got Nate Garner returning. We got Ryan Cook returning. We got some other young players there that have some upside so we feel fairly good at that position. But we’re going to continue to address the offensive line needs. That’s one must that we’re going to continue to do.”

Philbin is optimistic that the scheme will suit left guard Richie Incognito, who turned in a solid season last year, and rookie center Mike Pouncey, who played well before hitting the rookie wall.

However, Jerry might feel out of place if he doesn’t lose a few pounds, cutting down from his 340 pound frame.

“We’re not sure right now to be quite honest with you,” Philbin said when asked what position Jerry might play, tackle or guard. “We’ve seen some film of him at both spots. We got to find a home for him. We got to figure out where he can be most comfortable. Where he can be most effective and obviously he has to earn a spot. We’re not going to hand anything. The good news is he’s played a couple of them. The bad news is he hasn’t anchored down one specific spot yet so I think that’s going to be key moving forward in the spring.”

And unlike Ireland, Philbin also isn’t so sure about Murtha, whom Philbin recruited as a college coach at Iowa back in the days when Murtha was viewed as the nation’s top high school offensive lineman.

But Philbin admits he hasn’t watched Murtha play much considering he only played in the exhibition season before breaking his foot in the exhibition season finale. Ireland’s confident Murtha has the potential to become a solid starting right tackle.

The Dolphins are clearly rebuilding the right side of the offensive line, and the biggest question is where, and how will the Dolphins find the desired pieces at right guard and right tackle?

Tons of quality veteran offensive lineman – like Jake Scott – are available in free agency, but it has become clear this regime is done with stopgap players. If they do sign one of those types it will likely be AFTER the draft.

That means finding quality, athletic offensive lineman in the draft appears to be a top priority. However, it would be shocking if Miami uses a first or second-round pick on one considering there are so many other needs, and right side offensive linemen are the easiest to find and fill.

The Dolphins have already invested three first-round picks (Carey, Jake Long, Pouncey, a second-rounder (Samson Satele), a third-rounder (Jerry), and two fourth-round picks (Shawn Murphy and Joe Toledo) into the offensive line the past eight years.

Can the Dolphins REALLY afford to use any more early draft pick on that unit?

Better yet, can they afford not to?

G.G.G.

WEST PALM BEACH —
Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross asserted Monday that any perception of his organization as a floundering franchise that cannot land its preferred choice of players or coaches is an “unfair” and undeserved one, and in fact, insisted the team is in better shape than when he bought it from H. Wayne Huizenga.

“We have the best organization the Dolphins have had in a long time,” said Ross, who has presided over 7-9, 7-9 and 6-10 teams after purchasing majority interest in January 2009, shortly after Miami went 11-5.

“From when I came here, from where the team was before me, I think it’s been better,” he said. “Rome wasn’t built in a day. We have a fine nucleus. I’m excited where we’re going. We know we have some weaknesses. We’re looking to correct that.”

Ross, speaking to reporters at the NFL owners meetings, also disputed claims by veterans Ryan Clark and Joey Porter that players don’t want to play for the Dolphins.

“This is probably the best place in the NFL to play,” he said. “Players will want to play for this organization. I wouldn’t go by what one or two players said.”

Ross put a positive spin on the team’s quarterback situation, saying, “I’m very excited about Matt Moore” but also acknowledged he will “keep looking” to upgrade.

Asked if the team miscalculated Peyton Manning’s interest in the Dolphins, Ross suggested his optimism was based partly on a December meeting with Manning’s father, Archie. “He loves South Florida,” Ross said of Peyton. But “he wanted to be in a place where he was most comfortable, where he had familiar faces around him. He didn’t know anybody in our house.”

Ross and general manager Jeff Ireland never mentioned Matt Flynn on Monday, but Ireland said the Dolphins thought Manning was the only franchise quarterback available and “we weren’t going to be reckless and go after players we didn’t definitively think would beat out Matt Moore. We feel good where we are at quarterback” with Moore and David Garrard.

Ross maintained “it’s not like we’ve lost anything,” even though Miami traded Pro Bowl receiver Brandon Marshall and released safety Yeremiah Bell. Ross called two fans last week and told one of them that Marshall was traded to the Bears for two third-round draft choices because of the impact he had on team morale.

Asked to explain that, Ross declined, saying, “We got good value. We think the football team is better for it.” Ross and Ireland addressed other issues:

• Ross, on fans protesting last week outside the team facility: “We have one thing in common: We all want to see a winning team. When someone is passionate enough, they’re going to go out and protest. That’s the type of fan I want to talk to.”

• Ross, asked about some fans believing the organization is in disarray: “I don’t feel all the fans feel that way. I don’t think there’s been enough communication with them. We’re going to engage in that a lot more. If people look it at today and say you haven’t gone out and gotten major free agents we thought you might have, we look at it as, ‘We’re in the process.’ Some things go well. Some things don’t go as well as you would like them [such as] Manning.”

WEST PALM BEACH —
Before going any further, it’s time to correct the record:

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross said Monday he’s excited about how this offseason is going. The truth is most of his fans are not.

Ross said the Dolphins are “probably the best place in the NFL to play football …” There is no accounting for taste, but it’s probably fair to say Pittsburgh, New England, Green Bay, the Giants, and perhaps half a dozen other NFL outposts would rank ahead of Miami right now.

The owner also said the Dolphins currently boast “one of the best organizations” the franchise has had in a long time. Seems to me the club was pretty well organized in 2008 when it won a division title.

The world according to the Dolphins was on display Monday afternoon at the Breakers Hotel, and the club’s view of things and everyone else’s don’t always seem to line up.

But let’s agree to disagree at this point, shall we?

The easy thing now would be to give in to this keyboard that’s begging me to rip the Dolphins because the club was kind enough to provide multiple new assailable quotes as ammunition.

That’s not where we’re headed here.

I’m calling a one-man ceasefire on the Dolphins and encourage Dolphins fans everywhere to do the same. This offseason has been painful enough. Why add to the ache?

It’s time to stop the friendly fire, folks.

The fan base’s anger, the media’s disconnect, the shock jock attacks and jokes, all of them are getting kind of worn considering the Dolphins are struggling. But we have no actual proof of it because, well, nobody is playing Sunday and certainly nobody is keeping score.

The narrative around the halls of the NFL annual meeting is that the Dolphins are a hot mess of a franchise. They’re a joke. They attract attention only by tripping over themselves.

I guess that’s the reason NFL Network reporter Albert Breer asked Ross about his failure to land Jim Harbaugh, Jeff Fisher and Peyton Manning, and the question just about caused Ross to blow a gasket.

Sensitive subject

The Dolphins are a little sensitive these days because they have been taking a solid bruising for weeks.

But can we take an actual census of this league and measure if the Dolphins are truly the wheezing collapsed lung of a team we seem to think?

The Saints are in the middle of a truly unpleasant time coming off the Bountygate scandal. They don’t have a coach for the next year because he will be suspended. They won’t have their top assistant or general manager for part of the season while they also serve suspensions. The hammer is about to come down on some of their players, and their best chance to survive the crisis might be to turn to 70-year-old Bill Parcells to coach.

Comparatively, the Dolphins are not doing so terribly.

The Jets are a circus in of themselves. Just when the anonymous whispers from locker room sources ripping quarterback Mark Sanchez went silent, the club traded for Tim Tebow. Then they held a big welcoming news conference that sent the message to everyone in the locker room Tebow is an ordinary backup on the team like Namath made another guarantee about something or other.

Is it any surprise more anonymous player quotes appeared recently in The New York Post complaining about the Tebow acquisition, club chemistry, the news conference and who knows what else?

By Ethan Rothstein

– Contributor

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Mar 19, 2012 – Just hours after having it confirmed that they whiffed on Peyton Manning, the Miami Dolphins signed free agent quarterback David Garrard to a one-year contract, multiple outlets are reporting. Garrard didn’t play in 2011 after being released by the Jacksonville Jaguars during training camp because of a bad back. The Dolphins reportedly were in contract talks with Alex Smith, but CBS’ Pete Prisco speculated that they’ll stay in a holding pattern until the 2013 NFL Draft.

Though much has been made of the Dolphins’ pursuit of the hot quarterback names out there — they also met with Matt Flynn, who just signed with the Seahawks on Monday — Moore was very good in the second half of last year. In the Dolphins’ final eight games, he had a QB rating of 91.9 and 12 touchdowns compared with five interceptions, leading the Dolphins to a 5-3 record.

For more on the Dolphins and their offseason, make sure to visit The Phinsider.

Read More: David Garrard (QB – JAC), Matt Moore (QB – MIA), Miami Dolphins, Seattle Seahawks

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Read More: nfl free agents 2012, Alex Smith (QB – SFX), Miami Dolphins, San Francisco 49ers

With Peyton Manning headed to the Denver Broncos, the San Francisco 49ers probably have a top priority to resign Alex Smith to ensure stability at the quarterback position. However, they may have contenders for his services: The Miami Dolphins.

Smith did visit Miami extensively this week and things went pretty well. David Fucillo of Niners Nation has the total report, and it could be good news for the Dolphins or good news for the 49ers.

A couple posts ago, I noticed a comment from NinerFanTuscon in which he said NFL Network reported that Alex Smith is on his way back to the Bay Area without a contract with the Miami Dolphins. Smith flew to Miami early yesterday morning for a meeting and then had his agent Tom Condon fly in for a round of negotiations earlier today. Chris Mortensen indicated on ESPN that Smith really liked Miami and the 49ers might conceivably be prepared to move on without him.

Smith liking the Dolphins is interesting, but it’s clear that with no contract in place, Miami still might be a ways off from convincing him to come to South Florida. Meanwhile, with Manning off the table, San Francisco clearly knows its best option is Smith, and the deal they have out there is really great. Plus coming off an NFC Championship appearance, taking a risk and picking Miami for a better deal might not be worth it.

To talk about the Smith situation with 49ers fans, hit up Niners Nation.

The Miami Dolphins’ hunt for a quarterback continued on Sunday with the arrival of Alex Smith, the No. 1 pick in the 2005 NFL draft.

Smith, a free agent who started 66 games for the San Francisco 49ers, arrived in South Florida early Sunday morning, and will spend the day with the Dolphins because talks have stalled with the 49ers, which are one of three finalists to land Peyton Manning.

“This is the NFL. I guess nothing surprises me anymore,” said Smith, who led the 49ers to the NFC Championship game last season.

 ”I never thought a year ago (Peyton) Manning would be a free agent either,” Smith told the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “I’m never surprised by anything.”

The Dolphins made finding an upper echelon quarterback a priority this offseason, and intend to sign a free agent quarterback in the coming days.

 The Dolphins hosted Green Bay Packers backup Matt Flynn on Saturday, and are in the process of negotiating terms with Aaron Rodger’s backup, who spent four years learning from Joe Philbin.

 Smith, who was reportedly close to signing a three-year, $24 million contract with San Francisco, could find himself without a team if Manning, a future Hall of Famer, picks the 49ers over the Denver Broncos and Tennessee Titans.

 Smith, who completed 61.3 percent of his passes last season, throwing for 3,144 yards and 17 touchdowns (five interceptions), could potentially become a long-term solution for Miami.

 Despite Smith’s struggles earlier in his career it seems this he turned the page in 2011, and began blossoming under Jim Harbaugh’s tutelage.

 Smith, who will turn 28 in May, has thrown for 12,543 yards and 68 touchdowns during his seven NFL seasons.

 He clearly has an experience edge over Flynn, who has started two NFL games. But Smith has never played in a coast based offense, which is what the Dolphins intend to use.

 If Smith does sign with the Dolphins he’d be reunited with his former high school teammate, Reggie Bush. The two played together at Helix Charter High.

The future of the Dolphins now rests on a question that is unscientific and hard to untangle:

How good is Matt Flynn?

The new coach of the Dolphins has more information on this than just about anybody in the world, having groomed him personally in Green Bay, but the unscientific nature of prospecting is such that he’s guessing at the answer just like we are, though with vastly higher stakes. Joe Philbin is getting the biggest opportunity of his career, after a lifetime spent coaching, and he looks like he’s attempting to anchor himself, at the game’s most important position, to a seventh-round draft pick who has started all of two NFL games.

So this is where the weary, withering Dolphins fan base finds itself today, not merely settling for someone who isn’t Peyton Manning but rooting for a best-case scenario that is merely Plan B … because nobody wants to even think about whatever the alternative is to Flynn.

Manning had to be run off at least in part by the instability at the top of Miami’s organization. Or should we call it disorganization? For a decade, the Dolphins have been like a Russian nesting doll of rebuilding. Crack it open, and you find yet more rebuilding. Flynn is to Philbin what A.J. Feeley was to Dave Wannstedt, and John Beck was to Cam Cameron, and Daunte Culpepper was to Nick Saban, and Chad Henne was to Tony Sparano. The previous sentence is the most efficient explanation possible for how the Dolphins have gone more than a decade without winning a playoff game.

All the mismatched blueprints are why Ted Ginn was scoring touchdowns last year in San Francisco and Brandon Marshall will be scoring them next season in Chicago, the new leader always trying to make his mark by acting as janitor for the old leader. Poor Philbin, in a passing league, has been left a bunch of beefy linemen who are remnants of a bygone era, like an archeologist happening upon bones left by dinosaur Parcells. So now he attempts to bring in his guy, Flynn, but it is nearly impossible to know exactly what he is.

In his two starts, Flynn has thrown for 433 yards in one and 518 in the other, with nine touchdowns against four interceptions. You can’t fluke your way into those numbers? Well, yes, you can. In 2004, a guy became only the fourth quarterback ever to throw consecutive 400-yard games, joining Dan Marino, Dan Fouts and Phil Simms. His name was Billy Volek. The thing that is trickiest about evaluating Flynn is you can’t know if he was made to look better than he was because of all the help he had in his huddle.

The pieces in football are so hard to untangle. Marvin Harrison is going to the Hall of Fame. Would he have been Chris Chambers if he had played the last decade with Miami’s quarterbacks? Manning made everyone look smart in Indianapolis. First-round picks at the skill positions were never Ted Ginn because Manning wouldn’t let them be, so the front office never seemed to miss on picks, even when it did. You saw what Reggie Wayne, Pierre Garcon, Joseph Addai and Dallas Clark were last year when left to their own devices.

Take the case of Brandon Stokley, for example. He is a small, journeyman receiver who has played for Baltimore, Seattle, Indianapolis, Denver and the Giants. He was a fourth-round pick out of Louisiana-Lafayette. He is not special. But then he joined Manning. Before that, he had never had more than 24 catches, more than 357 yards or more than two touchdowns in a season. But with Manning, he had a year of 68 catches, 1,077 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2004 — more touchdowns, in other words, than the supremely talented Brandon Marshall had in his entire Dolphins tenure. And Stokley started only three of 16 games that season for Manning.

MIAMI (AP) — Former Green Bay Packers backup quarterback Matt Flynn is being courted by the Miami Dolphins.

Flynn visited the Dolphins on Saturday after they were eliminated from consideration by Peyton Manning. Flynn was a backup the past four years for Green Bay, where his offensive coordinator was Joe Philbin, the Dolphins’ new head coach.

Miami added former New York Jets linebacker Jamaal Westerman, who tweeted that he signed with the team. Westerman, a pass-rush specialist, had 3 1/2 sacks last year.

Flynn has only two career NFL starts, but in last year’s regular-season finale he set franchise records with 480 yards passing and six touchdowns to help the Packers beat Detroit 45-41. He visited the Seattle Seahawks earlier this week.

Copyright 2012 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — The Miami Dolphins are out of the chase for Peyton Manning, and the quarterback planned to work out Friday for the Denver Broncos, people familiar with the negotiations said.

A person confirmed to The Associated Press that Manning phoned the Dolphins on Thursday to advise them he’ll sign elsewhere, and the team will turn its attention to free agent quarterback Matt Flynn.

Another person told the AP Manning was to work out at Duke for the Broncos.

The people spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the workouts have remained private and the Dolphins haven’t talked publicly about negotiations.

Early Friday morning, Broncos executive John Elway was seen at the Centennial, Colo., airport. The same plane that picked up Manning for a session with Denver last week was en route to the Raleigh-Durham area, where Manning has been rehabilitating from neck surgeries.

Duke coach and longtime Manning friend David Cutcliffe told The Tennessean that Manning has made good progress throwing the football.

Along with the Broncos, the Tennessee Titans and Arizona Cardinals remain in contention for Manning.

But not the Dolphins, who met with the four-time NFL MVP for several hours Monday in Indianapolis and made signing him their top offseason priority. Instead the Dolphins will court Flynn, who visited the Seattle Seahawks on Thursday.

Flynn was the backup last year for Green Bay and has a good relationship with new Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin, the Packers’ offensive coordinator the past five seasons.

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AP Sports Writers Steve Wine in Miami and Pat Graham in Denver contributed to this report.