NEW ORLEANS—

It appears the Miami Dolphins were one of five NFL teams fined for having illegal contact with players during a designated dead period.

At the end of NFL commissioner Roger Goodell’s state of the league address, he was asked a question about team’s not being punished for having unauthorized contact with their players during a dead period in the offseason and he acknowledged discipline has been taken.

“They were fined,” Goodell said.

The Dolphins are believed to be one of those teams because of the contact quarterback Chad Henne had with offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and other staffers.

However, sources say Dolphins players were still working out at the team’s facility up until the lockout, which prevents team officials from having any contact with members of the now decertified NFLPA.

The NFL didn’t disclose the teams or fine amounts. The Dolphins declined to comment.

During Tuesday’s press availability coach Tony Sparano was very cautious when discussing any controverisal subject or player who was a free agent, fearing that he might cross a line.

“You guys are allowed to have opinions, I don’t know if I can anymore,” Sparano said.

The NFL released the following portion of the collective bargaining agreement that governs the violations:

“There have been rules in place for years that govern what is permissible prior to the start of the offseason program. It is the interpretation of Article XXXV of the CBA. Before the offseason program begins, generally around March 15, players are permitted to use the Club’s facilities on a voluntary basis subject to the following rules:

(i) such players may not receive per diem payments or workout bonuses of any kind and may not be paid or reimbursed expenses for travel, board or lodging during this period;

(ii) such players are not permitted to participate in organized workouts, practices or meetings of any kind;

(iii) the Club’s strength and conditioning coaches may not direct such players’ individual workouts, but may supervise use of the weight room to prevent injury, correct misuse of equipment, etc.;

(iv) such players may not be directed or supervised by position coaches during this period.”

Miami Dolphins defensive tackle Jared Odrick ended his rookie season on injured reserve with a broken left foot, but told WSVN-TV on Sunday that the injury has healed enough for him to run on it, according to the the South Florida Sun Sentinel.

Odrick told the station he planned to work out with the Dolphins or with trainer Pete Bommarito this offseason.

The Sun-Sentinel cites Odrick as saying, “I’ve gone through a whole lot worse to come back and be an All-American in college. I think I can do it again.”

The Dolphins placed Odrick on IR in October, ending his season. He suffered the foot injury after missing four games because of a broken right leg.

Odrick was selected in the first round of last April’s draft. He worked with the Dolphins’ first team from the start of training camp but was sidelined after sustaining a slight leg fracture in the season opener.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Cox, who was drafted in the fifth round by the Miami Dolphins in 1991, has joined the coaching staff of the team he played his first five NFL seasons with.

Cox, who spent the past seven years as a defensive line coach with the Jets and Browns, will serve as the Dolphins’ pass rush coach, which was a position created specifically for him. In his new role he’ll work with the defensive linemen and linebackers, which accounted for most of the team’s 39 sacks last season.

Before getting into coaching Cox spent 12-years as a inside linebacker in the NFL. His mouth, vicious play and antics made him one of the NFL’s most colorful players. After leaving the Dolphins he played for the Chicago Bears (1996-97), the New York Jets (1998-2000), New England (2001) and the New Orleans Saints (2002).

During his career Cox started 145 of the 165 games he played, and posted 51.5 career sacks. He was selected to three Pro Bowls.

Cox becomes the fifth former NFL player on the Dolphins’ coaching staff.

Secondary coach Todd Bowles, who also serves as the team’s assistant head coach, played cornerback for eight seasons. Quarterback coach Karl Dorrell spent one season with the Dallas Cowboys. Dan Campbell, who played 11 seasons as a tight end, was recently appointed to coach that position after serving as an offensive intern last season. And former Florida Gator standout Ike Hilliard, who played receiver for 12 seasons in the NFL, was added to the staff this offseason as the assistant receivers coach.

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( Jacob Langston/Orlando Sentinel ) The guy most NFL guru’s are predicting the Dolphins will take right now is Alabama running back Mark Ingram, the 2009 Heisman Trophy winner. It makes sense as the team could lose Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown this offseason.

DAVIE, Fla. — A lack of an offensive punch has hurt the Miami Dolphins, especially in their last three games when they only scored a combined 34 points.

Now out of the playoffs, the team is fighting to salvage a winning record at 7-7 heading into Sunday’s home finale against Detroit.

The plan is to see what can be done against the Lions and then the following week at New England to send head coach Tony Sparano and offensive coordinator Dan Henning into the offseason with optimism about the direction of the offense.

That might be a difficult task. Henning says the team this season hasn’t had more than three dynamic plays on offense out of “about 800 or so.” The Dolphins offense ranks 22nd overall and 31st in scoring.

“On our football team overall, we’re missing dynamics,” said Henning, who was the architect of the Dolphins’ offense in 2008 that helped Miami win the AFC East for the first time in eight years with an 11-5 record.

He said there are other things missing from the Dolphins’ game, including dynamic kickoff or punt returns that give the offense excellent field position or an interception return for a touchdown.

Despite having the same coaches from the 2008 team and even having some players on the current roster who are more dynamic than previous Dolphins personnel, Henning said there is a difference between this season’s team and the AFC East winners.

“As a team, we’re not as efficient, consistent or effective as we were in 2008,” he said.

Henning says the team needs speed. One reason behind the offense’s lack of speed has to do with the hand injury second-year wide receiver Brian Hartline suffered in the 13-10 home loss to Cleveland on Dec. 5.

“I would just tell you that some of our speed is sitting on the sideline right now and in the locker room in Brian Hartline,” Sparano said. “You don’t have to be a coach to figure that out, I mean, he runs fast and he’s been behind people probably the most out of any player that we’ve had. … Now of course we haven’t executed some of those plays.”

[Page 2 of 2]

Speed has been a difficult issue for the Dolphins without Hartline this season. Brandon Marshall — brought in via trade with the Denver Broncos in the offseason because of his size and ability to run after making a catch — only has three touchdown catches and has been slowed by a right hamstring injury. Slot receiver Davone Bess is tied with Marshall with 71 receptions but doesn’t have breakaway speed.

Sparano previously has noted other hurdles with the offense, including that the Dolphins running game struggled with second-level blocking and that red zone efficiency was a concern.

Marshall deferred to Henning’s opinion on the speed of the offense but became defensive when reporters questioned his game.

“I don’t know. I guess I’m not good enough no more,” he said. “I don’t know what you want me to say. Nothing is missing in my game, nothing at all.”

Join Free Press sports writer Carlos Monarrez for a live blog of the Lions-Dolphins game Sunday afternoon at freep.com/sports.

DAVIE, Fla. — A lack of an offensive punch has hurt the Miami Dolphins, especially in their last three games when they only scored a combined 34 points.

Now out of the playoffs, the team is fighting to salvage a winning record at 7-7 heading into Sunday’s home finale against Detroit.

The plan is to see what can be done against the Lions and then the following week at New England to send head coach Tony Sparano and offensive coordinator Dan Henning into the offseason with optimism about the direction of the offense.

That might be a difficult task. Henning says the team this season hasn’t had more than three dynamic plays on offense out of “about 800 or so.” The Dolphins offense ranks 22nd overall and 31st in scoring.

“On our football team overall, we’re missing dynamics,” said Henning, who was the architect of the Dolphins’ offense in 2008 that helped Miami win the AFC East for the first time in eight years with an 11-5 record.

He said there are other things missing from the Dolphins’ game, including dynamic kickoff or punt returns that give the offense excellent field position or an interception return for a touchdown.

Despite having the same coaches from the 2008 team and even having some players on the current roster who are more dynamic than previous Dolphins personnel, Henning said there is a difference between this season’s team and the AFC East winners.

“As a team, we’re not as efficient, consistent or effective as we were in 2008,” he said.

Henning says the team needs speed. One reason behind the offense’s lack of speed has to do with the hand injury second-year wide receiver Brian Hartline suffered in the 13-10 home loss to Cleveland on Dec. 5.

“I would just tell you that some of our speed is sitting on the sideline right now and in the locker room in Brian Hartline,” Sparano said. “You don’t have to be a coach to figure that out, I mean, he runs fast and he’s been behind people probably the most out of any player that we’ve had. … Now of course we haven’t executed some of those plays.”

[Page 2 of 2]

Speed has been a difficult issue for the Dolphins without Hartline this season. Brandon Marshall — brought in via trade with the Denver Broncos in the offseason because of his size and ability to run after making a catch — only has three touchdown catches and has been slowed by a right hamstring injury. Slot receiver Davone Bess is tied with Marshall with 71 receptions but doesn’t have breakaway speed.

Sparano previously has noted other hurdles with the offense, including that the Dolphins running game struggled with second-level blocking and that red zone efficiency was a concern.

Marshall deferred to Henning’s opinion on the speed of the offense but became defensive when reporters questioned his game.

“I don’t know. I guess I’m not good enough no more,” he said. “I don’t know what you want me to say. Nothing is missing in my game, nothing at all.”

Join Free Press sports writer Carlos Monarrez for a live blog of the Lions-Dolphins game Sunday afternoon at freep.com/sports.

DAVIE, Fla. — A lack of an offensive punch has hurt the Miami Dolphins, especially in their last three games when they only scored a combined 34 points.

Now out of the playoffs, the team is fighting to salvage a winning record at 7-7 heading into Sunday’s home finale against Detroit.

The plan is to see what can be done against the Lions and then the following week at New England to send head coach Tony Sparano and offensive coordinator Dan Henning into the offseason with optimism about the direction of the offense.

That might be a difficult task. Henning says the team this season hasn’t had more than three dynamic plays on offense out of “about 800 or so.” The Dolphins offense ranks 22nd overall and 31st in scoring.

“On our football team overall, we’re missing dynamics,” said Henning, who was the architect of the Dolphins’ offense in 2008 that helped Miami win the AFC East for the first time in eight years with an 11-5 record.

He said there are other things missing from the Dolphins’ game, including dynamic kickoff or punt returns that give the offense excellent field position or an interception return for a touchdown.

Despite having the same coaches from the 2008 team and even having some players on the current roster who are more dynamic than previous Dolphins personnel, Henning said there is a difference between this season’s team and the AFC East winners.

“As a team, we’re not as efficient, consistent or effective as we were in 2008,” he said.

Henning says the team needs speed. One reason behind the offense’s lack of speed has to do with the hand injury second-year wide receiver Brian Hartline suffered in the 13-10 home loss to Cleveland on Dec. 5.

“I would just tell you that some of our speed is sitting on the sideline right now and in the locker room in Brian Hartline,” Sparano said. “You don’t have to be a coach to figure that out, I mean, he runs fast and he’s been behind people probably the most out of any player that we’ve had. … Now of course we haven’t executed some of those plays.”

[Page 2 of 2]

Speed has been a difficult issue for the Dolphins without Hartline this season. Brandon Marshall — brought in via trade with the Denver Broncos in the offseason because of his size and ability to run after making a catch — only has three touchdown catches and has been slowed by a right hamstring injury. Slot receiver Davone Bess is tied with Marshall with 71 receptions but doesn’t have breakaway speed.

Sparano previously has noted other hurdles with the offense, including that the Dolphins running game struggled with second-level blocking and that red zone efficiency was a concern.

Marshall deferred to Henning’s opinion on the speed of the offense but became defensive when reporters questioned his game.

“I don’t know. I guess I’m not good enough no more,” he said. “I don’t know what you want me to say. Nothing is missing in my game, nothing at all.”

Join Free Press sports writer Carlos Monarrez for a live blog of the Lions-Dolphins game Sunday afternoon at freep.com/sports.

DAVIE, Fla. (AP) – A lack of an offensive punch has hurt the Miami Dolphins, especially in their last three games when they only scored a combined 34 points.

Now out of the playoffs, the team is fighting to salvage a winning record at 7-7 heading into Sunday’s home finale against Detroit.

The plan is to see what can be done against the Lions and then the following week at New England to send head coach Tony Sparano and offensive coordinator Dan Henning into the offseason with optimism about the direction of the offense.

That might be a difficult task. Henning says the team this season hasn’t had more than three dynamic plays on offense out of “about 800 or so.” The Dolphins offense ranks 22nd overall and 31st in scoring.

“On our football team overall, we’re missing dynamics,” said Henning, who was the architect of the Dolphins’ offense in 2008 that helped Miami win the AFC East for the first time in eight years with an 11-5 record.

He said there are other things missing from the Dolphins’ game, including dynamic kickoff or punt returns that give the offense excellent field position or an interception return for a touchdown.

Despite having the same coaches from the 2008 team and even having some players on the current roster who are more dynamic than previous Dolphins personnel, Henning said there is a difference between this season’s team and the AFC East winners.

“As a team, we’re not as efficient, consistent or effective as we were in 2008,” he said.

Henning says the team needs speed. One reason behind the offense’s lack of speed has to do with the hand injury second-year wide receiver Brian Hartline suffered in the 13-10 home loss to Cleveland on Dec. 5.

“I would just tell you that some of our speed is sitting on the sideline right now and in the locker room in Brian Hartline,” Sparano said. “You don’t have to be a coach to figure that out, I mean, he runs fast and he’s been behind people probably the most out of any player that we’ve had. … Now of course we haven’t executed some of those plays.”

Speed has been a difficult issue for the Dolphins without Hartline this season. Brandon Marshall – brought in via trade with the Denver Broncos in the offseason because of his size and ability to run after making a catch – only has three touchdown catches and has been slowed by a right hamstring injury. Slot receiver Davone Bess is tied with Marshall with 71 receptions but doesn’t have breakaway speed.

Sparano previously has noted other hurdles with the offense, including that the Dolphins running game struggled with second-level blocking and that red zone efficiency was a concern.

Marshall deferred to Henning’s opinion on the speed of the offense but became defensive when reporters questioned his game.

“I don’t know. I guess I’m not good enough no more,” he said. “I don’t know what you want me to say. Nothing is missing in my game, nothing at all.”