DE/OLB Jason Taylor (35) - Injuries derailed his potential Hall of Fame career last season, so the NFL's reigning active career sacks leader should have plenty to prove. First on his agenda is proving to the Dolphins' coaches that he's still an NFL starter, and he could possible get that done by outperforming Matt Roth, Cameron Wake, Charlie Anderson, Erik Walden and Tearrius Georgeduring OTAs, minicamp, and training camp.
NT Jason Ferguson (34) - Nose tackles are one of the most difficult positions to find, so good ones can play forever, like Keith Traylor did. Ferguson's still effective, but he's no longer an every down player. At least he wasn't last year. He's flirting with retirement, but still loves the game, and told me he wants to stay around football, so he might play a couple more seasons. But his contract expires after this season.
QB Chad Pennington (32) - Quarterbacks have a longer shelf life than most positions, so there's a chance he could still be playing at a Pro Bowl level in 2009. The Dolphins are prepared to move onto Chad Henne next season, but General Manage Jeff Ireland hasn't ruled out re-signing Pennington. That decision will likely depend on how well Pennington plays this season. If he played a full 16 game schedule in 2009, and how far he takes the Dolphins.
OLB Joey Porter (32) - The four-time Pro Bowler proved he's still a force in the NFL last season, tallying a career-high 17.5 sacks in his 11th season. Porter's competitive nature will likely motivate him to match, if not exceed last season's accomplishments. And it appears he'll have a better supporting cast to help him this season.
CB Will Allen (31) - This eight-year veteran is the most accomplished, experienced, and versatile cornerback the Dolphins have. But he's also the oldest, and with his contract expiring at the end of this season it's a long shot this regime will re-sign him unless he has a dynamic season, which is possible if he can stay healthy.
WR Ernest Wilford (30) - Considering this five-year veteran barely sniffed the field last season it's a long shot that he'll make it out of training camp considering the logjam the Dolphins presently have at the position. In order to survive Wilford must get better at creating separation from defensive backs, and start contributing on special teams.
RB Ricky Williams (31) - When factoring in how many seasons he's taken off, there's still a decent amount of thread left on this tailback's wheels. Especially since he's no longer called on to serve as a starter. Last season Williams carried the ball 160 times, averaging 4.1 yards per carry as Ronnie Brown's backup. He can go a couple more seasons with that workload. But I don't think he has it in him anymore to be a featured back?
SS Yeremiah Bell (30) - Despite his history of serious leg injuries, Bell was re-signed to a longterm contract after leading the team in tackles last season. But last year was the first time in his five seasons he's started all 16 games. Can he do it again? And how well will he work with Gibril Wilson, his new tag team partner in the backend.
TE David Martin (30) - This eight-year vet turned out to be a good complimentary piece to starter Anthony Fasano. Together they set franchise records for tight end production. But Martin, who caught 31 passes for 450 yards and three touchdowns, enters the final year of his existing deal. The Dolphins must determine if he's maxed out his productivity, or does he have a little more left in him.
