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The Dolphins have re-signed 27-year old DE Ryan Baker to a 1-year deal. Baker played in 2 games for the Dolphins last year and he had 1 tackle. Baker has now played in 16 games in his three years with the Dolphins and he has 7 tackles, 1/2 a sack and 1 pass defensed. Baker will provide depth at DE for the Dolphins in 2012.
The Dolphins have signed 33-year old G/T Artie Hicks to a 1-year, $2 million dollar deal. Hicks played in 9 games (3 starts) for the Browns last year. He has now played in 118 games (71 starts) in his first 10 years in the NFL. This was a good move for the Dolphins as Artie Hicks can play anywhere but center on the O-Line.
The Dolphins have signed 26-year old OLB Jamaal Westerman. Westerman played in all 16 games for the Jets last year and he had 32 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 3 tackles for a loss, 2 forced fumbles and 1 fumble recovery. He has now played in 36 games in his first three years in the NFL and he has 49 tackles, 4.5 sacks, 5 tackles for a loss, 2 forced fumbles and 4 fumble recoveries. This was a smart move for the Dolphins as it makes them stronger, while at the same time hurts the Jets.
The Dolphins have re-signed 26-year old RB Steve Slaton to a 1-year deal. Slaton played in 3 games for the Fins last year and he carried the ball 17 times for 64 yards (3.8 ypc) with 1 TD run. He also caught 2 passes for -3 yards (-1.5 ypc) and he returned 3 kickoffs for 85 yards (28.3 avg). Slaton has now played in 45 games in his first four years in the NFL and he has carried the ball 442 times for 1,896 yards (4.3 ypc) with 13 TD runs. Slaton has also caught 100 passes for 808 yards (8.1 avg) with 5 TD grabs and he has returned 42 kickoffs for 852 yards (20.3 avg). It was smart of the Dolphins to bring back Slaton for 2012 as he is a decent backup RB.
The Dolphins have signed 27-year old CB Richard Marshall to a 3-year, $16 million dollar deal. Marshall played in 16 games for the Cardinals last year and he had 78 tackles, 11 passes defensed, 3 interceptions, 3 tackles for a loss and 2 sacks. Marshall has now played in 96 games in his first six years in the NFL and he has 501 tackles, 17 interceptions (2 returned for TDs), 55 passes defensed, 18 tackles for a loss, 7 sacks, 3 forced fumbles and 7 fumble recoveries. This was a good move for the Dolphins as Marshall is a playmaker at corner.
The Dolphins have re-signed 28-year old NT Paul Soliai. Soliai played in all 16 games for the Dolphins last year and he had 27 tackles, 2 passes defensed and 2 tackles for a loss. He has now played in 68 games in his first five years with the Dolphins and he has 68 tackles, 2 sacks, 11 tackles for a loss, 1 forced fumble, 1 fumble recovery and 5 passes defensed. This was a good move for the Fins as Soliai takes up a lot of space on the interior of the D.
The Dolphins have sent 27-year old WR Brandon Marshall to the Chicago Bears for a 3rd round pick in 2012 and a 3rd round pick in 2013. Marshall played in all 16 games for the Fins last year and he caught 81 passes for 1,214 yards (15.0 avg) with 6 TD grabs. Marshall played in 30 games for the Dolphins in two years and he caught 167 passes for 2,228 yards (13.3 avg) with 9 TD grabs. The Dolphins are going to rebuild the team according to the new head coaches’ plans and it’s evident that he didn’t want Marshall around in 2012. The Fins are going to need a new #1 WR for 2012.
The Dolphins have re-signed 26-year old OT Lydon Murtha. Murtha missed all of last season due to a serious toe injury. He has played in 9 games (4 starts) in his first three years with the Dolphins. The Dolphins think that Murtha could be a starter in the NFL, if he can just stay healthy. The Fins were smart to bring him back for 2012.
The Dolphins have re-signed 26-year old DE Phillip Merling to a 1-year deal. Merling played in 10 games for the Dolphins last year and he had 4 tackles and 2 passes defensed. Merling has now played in 47 games in his first two years with the Dolphins and he has 66 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 2 tackles for a loss, 2 sacks, 8 passes defensed, 1 interception (he returned it for a TD) and 2 fumble recoveries. This was a smart move for the Dolphins as Merling is a decent backup DE.
The Dolphins have hired 50-year old Joe Philbin as their new head coach. It will be his first go around as an NFL head coach. Philbin spent 9 years with the Packers as an assistant coach. During his last four years, Philbin helped develop Aaron Rodgers into the QB that he is now. The Packers averaged 97.4 yards rushing (3.9 ypc), 307.8 yards passing (122.6 QB Rating) and 35.0 points per game last year. The Dolphins already have a decent defense and they have solid skilled players on offense, with the exception of a big time QB. If the Dolphins’ get improved play under center, they could start to take off in 2012. I like the choice of Philbin as the Dolphins’ new head coach.