There are some tough but common-sense decisions to be made for the Dolphins as they move forward with their sizeable salary-cap space and impending free agents. Here’s a five-step plan I expect to be put in place

1. Sign cornerback Sean Smith. The Dolphins should be working on his contract right now. He’s at an impact position and has shown in the past two games against Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald and Cincinnati’s A.J. Green the kind of player he is. The risk is he wasn’t this player last year. In his contract year, he’s focused. Will he stay that way? You have to hope so and pay him big. The cost? Cortland Finnegan signed a five-year, $50 million contract ($26.5 million guaranteed) as a free agent with St. Louis this off-season.
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2. Slap the franchise tag on left tackle Jake Long. He won’t like this. No player wants a one-year deal, even if it’s for big money ($12 million to $15 million). The idea is you can’t keep opening up important holes on your roster, but you’re not sure you want to sink so much money into any left tackle, much less one with some injury concern. This is good middle-ground for the Dolphins to walk. You don’t lose a great talent like Long. And you don’t sink the seven-year, $84-million deal ($44 million guaranteed) that Cleveland gave Joe Thomas. You sign him for next season and push the larger decision off a year.

3. Sign receiver Brian Hartline. Another deal that should be in the works right now. Hartline isn’t a No. 1 receiver – you need to get into the end zone more for that – but he’s shown he’s instrumental for moving forward. It’s hard to gauge just who he compares to contract-wise, but an idea would be Pierre Garcon, who signed a free-agent contract in the off-season with Washington for five years and $42.5 million ($20.5M guaranteed).


4. Let Randy Starks walk. Tough to say that considering how well he’s playing and he only turns 29 this season. But defensive tackle isn’t a premier position, the Dolphins have depth on the defensive line and the idea would be to draft and develop another Starks. If Starks wants to take a Dolphin-friendly deal, that's another matter. Jeff Ireland played this smartly last year, letting DL Kendall Langford go to St. Louis (four-year, $24 million - $12M guaranteed) while re-signing Paul Soliai for two years, $12 million.

5. Decide on Reggie Bush this off-season. He’s your best playmaker on offense. But running back, while an important position, isn’t one to overpay for. Bush was signed for two years and $10 million. That sounds about right in re-signing him, assuming the rest of this season plays out accordingly.

On a handful of times this week Dolphins wide receiver Jabar Gaffney, signed just over a week ago, has told reporters he's ready to play Sunday against the St. Louis Rams.

"I'll be there," he said. "Ready to play. I'm excited about it."

Yeah, well, why doesn't coach Joe Philbin sound quite as enthusiastic about the prospect of putting Gaffney, inactive last week, on the field this week?

“He’s making progress. He’s making progress, yeah," Philbin said. "Part of it is getting through the terminology barrier. Part of it is learning the concepts themselves. Football’s football. It’s not all that much different, but still there’s a little bit. He’s working hard at it, staying after practice. We’ll see how he progresses."

Let me break that down for you: Gaffney can be an asset once he's in football shape (not quite there yet), healthy (pretty much there) and fully versed in the playbook (not there at all). Gaffney, I'm told, is finding a comfort level with his game plan assignments. He's got some of that down. But he is nowhere near knowing the Dolphins playbook and he is struggling to learn the language of the playbook and calls.

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The Miami Dolphins will honor Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas this Sunday with induction into the team's Ring of Honor. The friends, brothers-in-law, and anchors to the Miami defenses of the 1990s and 2000s will rigghtfully share the stage together Sunday afternoon.

Throughout the late 1990s and the early 2000s, two players epitomized everything it was to be a member of the Miami Dolphins. These two players were the heart and soul of the defense, and were the heart and soul of the fan base. And, on Sunday, they will once again stand together and they are inducted into the team's Ring of Honor.

Zach Thomas spent 13 seasons playing linebacker in the NFL, 12 with the Miami Dolphins. During his career, he started 182 of the 184 games in which he appeared, recording 10.5 sacks, 17 interceptions, 16 forced fumbles, 8 fumbles recovered, 4 touchdowns (all interception returns), and 1,733 tackles. Thomas was named to seven Pro Bowls, as well as a five time First Team All Pro selection, and was selected as the AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1996.

Jason Taylor played defensive end and linebacker over fifteen NFL seasons, spending 13 seasons over three stints with the Dolphins. During his career, Taylor started 199 games over his career, appearing in an addition 34, recording 139.5 sacks, 8 interceptions, 46 forced fumbles, 29 fumble recoveries, 9 touchdowns (3 interceptions, 6 fumble returns - an NFL record), three safeties, and 777 tackles. Taylor was named to six Pro Bowls and was a four time First Team All Pro selection, as well as the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year in 2006 and the Walter Payton Man of the Year winner in 2007.

Great news about Gaffney...can't wait to see him in action!

I heard that Richard Marshall will be out again...

I wouldn't play Gaffney this week. I'd wait until after the bye when I know he's in shape and knows the playbook.