The biggest news for the Dolphins have to do with the QB and RB positions.  Out with the old QBs (Gus Frerotte and Sage Rosenfels) and in with the new (Daunte Culpepper and Joey Harrington).  Culpepper is coming off a serious knee injury, but has a multitude of talent, definitely qualifying as high risk/high reward for the Dolphins.  Harrington also has talent if you believe his performance when he played with the Oregon Ducks because as of yet, everyone’s still waiting for him to shine.

Someone who won’t be shining for the Dolphins is Ricky Williams, who was suspended for the whole NFL season, thanks to yet another failed drug test.  No worries though for Fin fans as Ronnie Brown will get a chance to really show his ability as the dreaded running back-by-committee won’t be in effect.  I’d look for Brown to make it so that there will be no need for Williams to ever come back and have him stay up in Canada.

WR Chris Chambers has the speed to succeed and can take it to the house at any given point when he touches the ball.  So, getting a QB like Culpepper should help Chambers, a vertical threat, benefit a lot.  Randy McMichael is one of the better tight ends in the league and should also benefit in the offense.

Any defense with Zach Thomas and Jason Taylor will put some major pressure on an opposing offense.  Thomas will always be around the ball, tackling like machine.  While Taylor will always be around the quarterback, relentlessly attacking.  In the defensive backfield, there was major turnover as the Fins said see ya to Sam Madison, Reggie Howard, Tebucky Jones, and Lance Schulters.  New CB Will Allen will prove to be a valuable asset and is an upgrade of all four aforementioned former players.  CB/FS Renaldo Hill is versatile and a good cover guy.  The Fins hope that CB/FS Jason Allen, who was drafted 16th overall, can make a difference as a rookie.

There is a lot of expectations for Nick Saban’s Dolphins, especially considering how well they finished last season, winning their last six games.  If Culpepper can stay healthy, they have a great chance to do very well and go very far.  It’ll be interesting how the new faces in the secondary gel, but I think Thomas and Taylor will get them straight if they have to.  I honestly believe that if he needed to, Thomas would play free safety.  The East should come down to the Pats with the Dolphins close behind.