Now that Jason Ferguson has announced his retirement after 13 season in the NFL, Paul Soliai has become a very key member of the defensive line.  Soliai has shown flashes of what he could be as he did in the 2nd game against the New York Jets last year, a game in which he was a big factor.  He has also shown a maddening level of inconsistent play and disappering for long portions of games, something that Miami cannot afford now.

Ferguson was the rock in the middle of the Miami defense and they were much better against the run when Ferguson was in the lineup.  When Ferguson got hurt and was out of the lineup in 2009, the Dolphins gave up 40 yards a game more in the rush game.  In a division which features the top ranked rush offense in the NFL, the New York Jets, Miami cannot afford to have there run defense be a weakness if they expect to win the division and make a run in the playoffs.

Randy Starks was moved to nose tackle during the offseason, and while I believe Randy will do a good job, Soliai needs to be able to provide Miami a reliable backup, a player that can be rotated in to the nose tackle position and not have a drop off in play at the position.

Paul has the size at 6'4, 355 lbs, and the talent to be a factor.  Now, more than ever, Paul needs to maximize his talent and take his game to the next level.  Now, more than ever, Soliai needs to step up and perform.

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• The Dolphins traded a late pick for an "old" Ferguson with the hopes of replacing him in a couple of years. It isn't his fault that we neglected the position. In 2002 we traded two first round picks for a young Ricky with the hopes of making him the franchise cornerstone on offense. He was even elevated as a team leader and addressed the rookies in training camp the month that he "quit" (let's call it what it was).

• Ricky made a lot of comments that rubbed the fans wrong after he retired. That kind of smarts when the fans hero worshipped him for two years. In fact, I hadn't seen that devotion since Dan the Man ... and haven't since.

• Ricky was healthy the previous year that he "retired". Ferguson just came off of a season ending torn quadriceps injury and is 35. Perhaps he is not recovering as well as he hoped for.

Since then, Ricky redeemed himself by cleaning himself up and working hard on the field. I think most fans hope for the best in his professional career and personal life. Now, expectations are not as high for Ricky as he is in the twilight of his NFL career, and fans understand that deep down Ricky has a chemical imbalance and is one failed drug test from another 1 year suspension. Anyone who still thinks that Ricky is "pond scum" must be totally out of touch.

So, with that .... welcome to 2010 and enjoy some highlight clips of the '09 version of Ricky Williams:

Download the Free Phinfever Browser Toolbar

I really can't get along without the browser toolbar. It has all the important links on it. I'm not selfish, I even have all the other Dolphins fan sites on it. There's a lot of draft links, rss feeds, and a cool email program that lets you know when you have mail. And NO spam or spyware. It works for Firefox and Internet Explorer. So, enjoy!

Support Phinfever by buying what you need from our advertisers. They pretty much pay the bills for us. Thanks!
 

If you're looking for things to do in Miami FL, check CTC for Miami comedy shows and Miami football schedules. Also buy NFL tickets and college sports tickets, including Miami Dolphins football tickets and cheap Hurricanes football tickets