1992 Season In Preview
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Miami Dolphins
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1992 Starters (Change from prev.season in Italics)
QB: Dan Marino (97)
HB:
Eric Dickerson (93)
FB: Tony Paige (81)
WR: Mark Clayton (88)
WR: Mark Duper (83)
WR:
Tony Martin (76)
TE: Ferrell Edmunds (92)
LT: Richmond Webb (80)
LG:
Ralph Tamm (90)
C: Jeff Dellenbach (83)
RG: Harry Galbreath (81)
RT: Mark Dennis (82)
LE:
Leon Seals (88)
RE: Jeff Cross (91)
DT:
Moe Gardner (79)
DT:
Ted Washington (75)
LOLB: David Griggs (83)
MLB: John Offerdahl (91)
MLB:
Elijah Alexander (72)
ROLB: Hugh Green (82)
CB:
Milton Mack (88)
CB: Liffort Hobley (86)
CB: J.B. Brown (79)
FS: Jarvis Williams (88)
SS: Louis Oliver (86)
K: Pete Stoyanovich (91)
P: Reggie Roby (91)
Additions (* = Rookie)
[table="head;autonumtitle=rank;width=15em"]Pos|Name|OVR
HB|Eric Dickerson|93
LT|J.Brown*|72
LG|Ralph Tamm|90
LG|S.Gordon*|61
LE|Leon Seals|88
DT|Brad Culpepper*|75
DT|Marc Boutte*|70
DT|M.Johnson*|63
LOLB|Hal Garner|82
MLB|Elijah Alexander*|72
CB|Milton Mack|88
CB|Terrell Buckley*|78
[/table]
Releases/Retirements (* = Retired)
[table="head;autonumtitle=rank;width=15em"]Pos|Name|OVR
QB|Scott Secules|64
HB|Sammie Smith|79
WR|Jim Jensen*|77
WR|James Pruitt|69
RT|J.Strauser|64
RE|Rod Saddler|83
DT|Shawn Lee|77
DT|Alfred Oglesby|77
DT|T.Turner|68
MLB|E.J. Junior|82
MLB|Mark Reichenbach|66
ROLB|Cliff Odom*|67
CB|Paul Lankford|67
[/table]
Previous Season Outcome: 10-6, Playoff Birth
Projected 1991 Outcome: The Miami Dolphins snuck into the playoffs last year at 10-6 behind the Bills outstanding 13-3 season. Barely beating out the Jets and Patriots who both went 8-8 in an intense division battle. The Dolphins made changes that they felt will keep them at the level they are at in the future.
The Dolphins were able to loose a couple players due to retirement and free agency but without much of an impact on the team. Only Jim Jensen, E.J. Junior, and Rod Saddler were starters that left and all were replaced by equally as good, if not better, players at their positions. There is nothing but improvement across the board for the Dolphins. The biggest of which comes in the form of a playmaker on offense, Eric Dickerson. Dickerson leaves the Colts and will easily start over Mike Rozier to pound it in Miami. It's a shame that Rozier will not end up getting the carries he deserves after two solid years but when you have the opportunity to sign Eric Dickerson you do it, and that's exactly what Miami did. Dickerson will bring one of the league's best rushers behind Dan Marino, which should help free up his passing game with Duper and Clayton, which has been on the decline as of late.
The Dolphins added cornerback Milton Mack to the team to give them added secondary insurance as well as moved last years rookie defensive linemen, Moe Gardner and Ted Washington into the starting two defensive tackle positions. Leon Seals makes his way over as a big-time replacement for Rod Saddler and will be a welcomed addition on the increasingly talented Dolphins line. Hal Garner also joined the team to give them depth behind David Griggs and Hugh Green at the outside linebacker spots. One of the most likely overlooked additions, but most impactful, was the addition of left guard Ralph Tamm. Tamm will start over the inexperienced Keith Sims who struggled as a rookie last year along with Richmond Webb on a weakened Dolphins left side.
From the draft the Dolphins did their best to pickup depth and security at their positions. They started off with solid defensive pickups like cornerback Terrell Buckley, middle linebacker Elijah Alexander, and defensive tackles Brad Culpepper and Marc Boutte. But as the picks went on the players talent started to diminish with selections like M.Johnson and linemen J.Brown and S.Gordan.
The biggest obvious weakness on the Dolphins right now is their lack of depth at the wide receiver position. With Mark Duper and Mark Clayton at the top and youngster Tony Martin filling in for retired Jim Jensen the top 3 are set, but after that it begins to become questionable. Fred Banks (64 Ovr) is the only other wide receiver on the roster, so as soon as any of the Dolphins receivers is injured they may be forced to dip into free agency for a replacement as they currently don't have the numbers.
It's hard to see the Dolphins dropping in record this upcoming season because the only thing they did this off-season was improve as a team. With amazing additions like Eric Dickerson and solid players like Milton Mack, Leon Seals, Ralph Tamm, and Hal Garner, the Dolphins are definitely looking to return to the playoffs.