Sometimes I like to pretend that the NFL lockout did not end. I also like to pretend I am closer to 20 than I am to 40 and that I will one day write the great American novel. It's called living in denial and going into the upcoming football season I want to pretend the team I will be rooting for does not have the roster of the 2011 Miami Dolphins.

Our off-season began with owner Stephen Ross chasing after Stanford coach Jim Harbaugh to be the new Dolphins headman. Harbaugh declined and chose to coach the San Francisco 49ers instead. Ross then decided to not only keep current coach, Tony Sparano, but also awarded him a contract extension. This sends the curious message to the fan base that you are content with your second choice. I hope Ross did not propose to his wife under similar circumstances.

I like Sparano and am glad he is receiving more money. In 2008 he took chances and instituted the Wildcat offense to lead the Dolphins to a division title. His past two seasons, however, he made curious game management decisions, settling for far too many field goals that contributed toward a pair of mediocre 7-9 records. But one can only blame the coach so much. In today's pass-happy NFL a coach is only as good as his quarterback. And the Dolphins' quarterback, Chad Henne, stinks.

Henne has a heck of an arm and shows toughness by pulling himself up after countless hard hits, but his decision-making is abysmal. He threw more interceptions than touchdowns last season, many of which cost the Dolphins close games. Last season he proved himself to not be a quality starter, but the Dolphins did nothing to upgrade the position. They passed on Ryan Mallett twice in the draft and avoided Vince Young in free agency, instead signing Matt Moore, one of the few quarterbacks last season to have a worse season than Henne. (I won't mention that the Dolphins previously passed on drafting Matt Ryan and declined on acquiring Drew Brees on two separate occasions).

In the off-season the Dolphins also allowed long-time running backs Ricky Williams and Ronnie Brown to walk, reminding fans that it is the name on the front of the jersey we are supposed to root for, not the names on the back. They were replaced by rookie Daniel Thomas and Kim Kardashian's ex-boyfriend Reggie Bush. Bush is an otherworldly talent, but he has only proven himself in the NFL with his kickoff and punt returns, tasks he will not be performing for the Dolphins. He is prone to injury and has in previous seasons been unable to pick up yards in the running game for his former team, the New Orleans Saints.

In other player news, last year's top acquisition, wide receiver Brandon Marshall, was involved in a bizarre incident where his wife might or might not have stabbed him. Marshall then brought attention that he was diagnosed with a mental illness.

On a more positive note former Dolphins great, 37-year-old defensive end, Jason Taylor, is returning to the team for the third time. His re-addition to a defense that showed flashes of dominance last year could lead the team to a respectable record. But with the dearth of talent on the offensive side of the ball I can't see the Dolphins doing any better than a third straight 7-9 record. Good enough to give us hope, bad enough to remind us that taxes will still be due April 15 and those are indeed love handles spilling out of your jeans.

For Dolphins news on Twitter, follow @Dolphins_Live.

Follow Blog Blitz on Facebook and join the conversation.

-- DAVID ROLLAND
NFL Blog Blitz powered by SportsFanLive.com

It just makes too much sense.

In all areas of the Miami Dolphins organization, it would just make too much sense for it not to be heavily considered. Vince Young would fulfill what the owner wants, what the GM and coach should want, and he would fit nicely with the offensive pieces the Dolphins already have in place.

Let’s start at the very top.

In January, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross basically made it publicly clear that he wanted to replace head coach Tony Sparano with Jim Harbaugh. He wanted the change for multiple reasons, but the biggest was that he loved Harbaugh's explosive offense and he knew it would put fans in the seats. After completely butchering the coaching replacement, Ross "re-committed" to Tony Sparano, but

emphasized that things would change on the offensive side of the ball. He stated that the goal for the 2011 season was to employ an aggressive, exciting brand of offensive football that would put points on the board and fans in the seats.

Well, we don’t know for sure yet if Young is capable of putting a ton of points on the board, but we know that his exciting style of play will bring fans to the games. He's a popular star whose game is always entertaining to watch. That's something the Dolphins have been missing on the offensive side of the ball for a long time.

As far as Tony Sparano and Jeff Ireland are concerned, this is a move they should want to make too. A good running game and solid defense isn't making the boss happy anymore and these two are on a short leash. Another season or two of hovering around or below .500 and these two will both be out. At this point they need to not only appease Ross, but also shake things up a bit. The old Parcells philosophies clearly haven’t worked out for them so far in Miami. They can keep building that defense, but something needs to change on the offensive side of the ball, and the most obvious place to start is at quarterback.

Chad Henne has probably still not played up to his full capability, but how much longer can Ireland and Sparano afford to wait? Things aren't going to be any easier for him this year either with major questions in the backfield. As of now, it looks like Daniel Thomas would be the featured running back. That can't be too comforting. If Young is taking the snaps, he at least adds another dimension to the offense.

The receivers on the Dolphins are also a little better suited for Young's game. When plays break down, Young can make throws outside of the pocket and on the run, and who better to have out there in those situations than Brandon Marshall and Davone Bess? Both guys are excellent at navigating through traffic in the middle of the field and we know how amazing Marshall is once he has the ball in his hands.

There is a good chance that once free agency finally opens up that the Dolphins spend their money elsewhere, on guys that aren't such a risk, but Vince Young makes too much sense for the Dolphins to not at least consider him. The rumors have already been flying about Young and the Dolphins, but when this lockout finally comes to an end, don’t be surprised if you hear a lot more of them.

For Dolphins news on Twitter, follow @Dolphins_Live.

Follow Blog Blitz on Facebook and join the conversation.

-- KELLEY BYDLON
NFL Blog Blitz powered by SportsFanLive.com

Dolphins Draft Grade: C+

The 2011 NFL draft has come and gone and it was another pretty predictable one for the Miami Dolphins. Not bad, but predictable. Let’s go through the picks.

(1) Pick No. 15: OG/C Mike Pouncey (Florida)
What the Dolphins would do with the 15th pick in the draft seemed to be one of the hottest pre-draft story lines. Would they try to move up and go after a franchise quarterback? Would they try to move down and acquire more picks to fill the many holes they had on the team? Would they take the best quarterback available at 15? Would they take Mark Ingram? Would they play it safe and draft one of the many first round caliber offensive linemen?

Well, for the people that know Tony Sparano best, the selection of Mike Pouncey probably came as no surprise. He is a versatile offensive lineman who can play the guard and center position (he will probably start at center and then move to guard after a year or two once he learns the NFL better). He is a proven winner, having won three state championships in high school, and one national championship in college. He obviously comes from a great pedigree, with brother, Maurkice Pouncey being drafted in the first round by Pittsburgh last year and having a lot of success in his rookie season. Most of all though, he fills a major need that the Dolphins have on offense.

I’m sure many Dolphins fans would have liked to see a flashier pick at 15, but this was a safe and good pick. Pouncey should be a staple on that offensive line for years to come, and that will help immensely in the development of the young running backs and quarterbacks the Dolphins will be grooming over the next couple of years. Also, look at it this way Dolfans, you don’t want the Dolphins to go and draft a franchise quarterback only for there to be a coaching change in a year or two.

(2) Pick No. 62: RB Daniel Thomas (Kansas State)
Like Pouncey, Daniel Thomas should help solve an immediate need for the Dolphins. With Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams both likely gone next season, Thomas will be responsible for a lot of the work in the backfield, regardless of who else the Dolphins might pick up in free agency.

Thomas might not be the fastest running back around, but he is a bruiser and extremely athletic. At 6’0” and 238 pounds, he is big enough to run over linebackers and defensive backs, but is also very elusive for his size. In his senior year at Kansas St., Thomas led the Big 12 in rushing with 121.9 yards per game and he scored 19 touchdowns.

The most interesting part of the Thomas selection though wasn’t his running ability, but his passing ability. Thomas spent his first two years of college as a quarterback at Northwest Mississippi Community College. He is said to have near pro-caliber passing abilities. Obviously, the Dolphins were really the first team to bring the wild cat offense to the pro level, and with the probable loss of Ricky Williams, it should be interesting to see how and if the Dolphins utilize Thomas in this area.

Overall, Thomas seems like another solid selection at a position of need that the Dolphins desperately needed to address, but considering they gave up a third-round pick, a fifth-round pick and a seventh-round pick to move up and get him, they better hope he produces, or this turns from a pretty good pick, to a pretty bad pick.

(4) Pick No. 111: WR Edmond Gates (Abilene Christian)
The Dolphins have been looking for that deep, home run threat to compliment Brandon Marshall and Davone Bess, and they hope that is exactly what they got with the selection of Edmond Gates in the fourth round. This guy is all about speed.

He might not be the biggest (6-0, 192 lbs) or the most polished wide receiver, having played basketball exclusively for the last half of high school, and the first half of his college career, but the guy can run. He ran a 4.37 40-yard dash at the NFL combine two months ago. A time he called one of the worst he has ever run.

If Gates turns out to be what the Dolphins hope he can be, he should be a deep threat for many years to come.

(6) Pick No. 174: FB/TE Charles Clay (Tulsa)
He may have been a sixth-round draft pick, but the Dolphins sure must like him, because they again traded up to get him.

Although he is listed as a fullback, Clay is expected by most to move permanently to the tight end position. With only Anthony Fasano under contract, the Dolphins could use some help there. At 6’3”, 245 pounds, Clay is a very physical runner with the ball in his hands, but his catching abilities is really what he is known for.

(7) Pick No. 231: DT Frank Kearse (Alabama A&M)
The offensive side of the ball is really where the Dolphins needed to concentrate in this draft, and that’s exactly what they did until the seventh round. At 6-4, 315 pounds, Kearse will fight for a back-up spot at nose tackle in the Dolphins 3-4 defense.

(7) Pick No. 235: DB Jimmy Wilson (Montana)
Umm, good luck?

The upside here is that Wilson is said to be a versatile player who can play either the cornerback or safety position well, and he would have had a much more notable college career if it wasn’t for his troubled past. The downside? Well, his troubled past ...

Wilson was out of football for three years, two of which were spent in prison after he was arrested for shooting his aunt’s boyfriend to death in 2007. He was eventually acquitted, but in 2010 he ran into trouble with the law again when he pleaded guilty to misdemeanor disorderly conduct for biting a woman.

So, once again, good luck.

Summary
Now, many people may be wondering why the C+ grade for the Dolphins when they filled a lot of their needs with quality players. Well, first of all, draft grading is a pretty subjective thing, but I question some of the moves the Dolphins chose to make in the draft, and I question even more the one move they apparently decided not to make.

I think Daniel Thomas is a very good player and could end up being a very productive running back for the Dolphins, but I do not agree with the decision to trade all the picks they did to move up and get him. He’s not a guaranteed stud like a Mark Ingram, and the Dolphins could have used the extra two draft picks to help fill the many needs they still have.

If they hadn't made the trade for Thomas, Arkansas quarterback Ryan Mallett would have basically fell into their lap in the third round. Obviously, quarterback wasn’t as big of a priority to Sparano and Ireland as many people thought, but there is no way they would have passed up on him in the third round. Apparently though, even after trading up for Thomas and watching Mallett drop as far as he did, the Dolphins did try to trade back into the third round to draft the quarterback that many of the “experts” had ranked as one of the top quarterbacks in the draft. At that point though, they probably didn’t have the ammunition to make the trade. To me, the Dolphins could have come away from the draft looking a lot better if they were able to get Mallett, as well as address a lot of their other needs.

Again, I don’t think it was a horrible draft by the Dolphins, but I think it could have been better. In the end, it just felt like a normal, predictable draft class by Sparano, Ireland and co.

For Dolphins news on Twitter, follow @Dolphins_Live.

Follow Blog Blitz on Facebook and join the conversation.

-- KELLEY BYDLON
NFL Blog Blitz powered by SportsFanLive.com

With the 15th overall pick, the Dolphins did not take RB Mark Ingram. Instead, they selected the best interior lineman in this year's draft, Florida G/C Mike Pouncey.

Pouncey immediately improves the Dolphins offensive line that was a major concern for them in 2010. But I disagree with the pick for this reason. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams are both free agents, and you have a Heisman Trophy running back staring you in the face. And you pass on him? Most Dolphins fans here at Radio City seemed OK with the Pouncey pick, but Alan from Sarasota, Fla., agreed with me:

"Don’t get me wrong, I like Pouncey. But who is going to run the ball? We don’t have a good QB, so we need to take the pressure off of him. I just think we made a huge mistake."

For Dolphins news on Twitter, follow @Dolphins_Live.

Follow Blog Blitz on Facebook and join the conversation.

-- TERRY LONG
NFL Blog Blitz powered by SportsFanLive.com

Will the Dolphins draft a quarterback with the 15th overall pick?
Probably not. Jeff Ireland and Tony Sparano are on the hot seat, and any encouragement they might receive to "draft as if their jobs are safe" will be neglected. They know that they have to win this year and they will draft accordingly. So, drafting a quarterback that may take multiple years to develop is not a realistic option for this current regime.

Who will they draft with the 15th overall pick?
The two candidates that have been consistently connected with the 'Fins are Florida center Mike Pouncey and Alabama running back Mark Ingram. Based on the abundance of quality backs slated to be available in both the middle rounds of the draft and free agency, Miami can pass on Ingram and his disheartening knee in favor of bolstering a thin offensive line with Pouncey. If one of the elite defensive end prospects such as Robert Quinn or Da'Quan Bowers free-falls, the Dolphins might take a talent over need approach and grab one of them. Outside of Cameron Wake, Miami has few sources capable of generating a pass rush, so pursuing a pass rusher in the first round is not entirely out of the question.

What about a trade down?
Depending on the return, this is the best-case scenario for the Dolphins. If they can move back and add a second round pick, the draft completely opens up. Again, depending on the price, Miami could target highly heralded prospects Titus Young or Mikel Leshoure in the second round and stockpile some picks for the latter rounds.

Will they draft a quarterback at any point?
Miami would be wise to target a quarterback late in the draft, yes. There are some intriguing late round prospects such as Alabama;s Greg McEloy, Delaware's Pat Devlin, Idaho's Nathan Enderle and Minnesota's Adam Weber, who could make for worthwhile investments. Drafting a quarterback would also serve to motivate Chad Henne.

What are their top priorities?
The obvious priorities are quarterback and running back. But Miami is also in desperate need of a vertical receiver, a tight end, and in great need of special teams depth. The Dolphins need a "vertical" receiver who can provide a similar skill-set to, it hurts to say it, Ted Ginn. Such a player can keep secondaries on their toes and draw attention away from Brandon Marshall. Miami still has not grasped the benefits of an athletic tight end, and the special teams units should be emphasized after so much embarrassment in 2010.

For Dolphins news on Twitter, follow @Dolphins_Live.

Follow Blog Blitz on Facebook and join the conversation.

-- SCOTT ALTMAN
NFL Blog Blitz powered by SportsFanLive.com