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Pittsburgh Steelers safety Troy Polamalu won the Associated Press 2010 defensive player of the year award by two votes over Green Bay Packers linebacker Clay Matthews.

Nothing untoward there.

But a Dolfans faction was riled up outside linebacker Cameron Wake didn't receive a single vote of the 50 cast and filed their grievances with me Monday night on Twitter.

Wake had a phenomenal season, but I happened to agree he didn't deserve defensive player of the year consideration. I was called a fraud and accused of being on drugs. One of those allegations is completely false.

Let's take a look at who did receive votes. All seven went to the playoffs:

• Troy Polamalu, Steelers safety, 17
• Clay Matthews, Packers linebacker, 15
• James Harrison, Steelers linebacker, 8
• Julius Peppers, Bears defensive end, 6
• Brian Urlacher, Bears linebacker, 2
• Ed Reed, Ravens safety, 1
• Haloti Ngata, Ravens defensive tackle, 1

Wake had a breakthrough campaign after being ridiculed by former teammate Joey Porter at this time last year. Wake recorded 14 sacks, 21 tackles for losses, 28 quarterback hits and three forced fumbles.

But Wake didn't stand much of a chance for defensive player of the year. Although the Dolphins ranked sixth in total defense, they failed to make the playoffs and won a single home game. That doesn't necessarily reflect on Wake, but it's hard to think of a player as a difference-maker on a team that loses more often than it wins.

The other problem was the same AP panel didn't vote Wake first-team All-Pro, meaning he wasn't among the top two players at his position. Matthews and Harrison were. Dallas Cowboys outside linebacker and NFL sacks leader DeMarcus Ware received as many All-Pro votes as Wake did.

To vote somebody the NFL's best overall defender when he's not the best at his spot is difficult.

There also was a strong sentiment Wake was snubbed in DPOY balloting not because he didn't win the award, but because he didn't receive any votes. But it must be noted, the AP panel doesn't vote for first, second and third place on their annual awards. Each ballot includes one name. Therefore, the voter is going to choose the single most-deserving player. There are no bones to throw out to make the also-rans feel appreciated.

Unfortunately for Dolphins supporters, their guy didn't get a vote despite a terrific season. A lot of others stars weren't named either, including Ware, New England Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork, Detroit Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, San Francisco 49ers linebacker Patrick Willis and Oakland Raiders cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha. A lot of awesome players there.

What do you think? How badly was Wake snubbed?

I realize there's one game remaining on the schedule.

After four months of football, Week 17 shouldn't determine the year's best.

Many of the top teams will bench their players for significant portions -- if not all -- of the regular-season finales. There's a reason smart fantasy leagues held their Super Bowls last week.

So with that in mind and 2010 about to expire, here's my ballot for the Pro Football Weekly/Pro Football Writers Association annual awards:

Overall NFL MVP: Tom Brady, Patriots quarterback. He's one of the greatest of all-time, and he's putting together one of the finest seasons of his career. You can argue he never has been better.

Offensive MVP: Tom Brady, Patriots quarterback. Some outlets will break up this award, listing different players for overall MVP and offensive or defensive MVP. In those instances, you'll probably see Brady for one and Michael Vick for the other. We don't do that here.

Defensive MVP: Julius Peppers, Bears defensive end. His sack numbers aren't inspiring, but his presence in Chicago's defense has forced other teams to game plan specifically to stop him, creating opportunities for teammates. He finished with eight sacks, three forced fumbles and 11 passes defensed. Nobody else among the top 85 sackers had more than eight passes defensed.

Coach of the Year: Bill Belichick, Patriots. The Patriots revamped their offense, traded Randy Moss and used several rookies on defense. And they own the NFL's best record.

Comeback Player of the Year: E.J. Henderson, Vikings linebacker. Vick will be a popular choice here, but I have two problems with choosing him over Henderson: 1) Vick's off-field actions are what removed him from the game to begin with; 2) Vick played last year. Henderson wasn't supposed to return at all from a broken femur in December 2009. He amassed over 100 tackles and three interceptions with a titanium rod in his leg.

Overall NFL Rookie of the Year: Sam Bradford, Rams quarterback. You can't dispute his impact on the Rams. Even if they don't go to the playoffs, Bradford has played like a seasoned veteran and posted respectable stats despite a raggedy receiver corps.

Offensive Rookie of the Year: Sam Bradford, Rams quarterback. Same policy as noted above for offensive MVP.

Defensive Rookie of the Year: Ndamukong Suh, Lions defensive tackle. Some think he should be considered overall defensive player of the year. He has been that dominant.

Most Improved Player of the Year: Cameron Wake, Dolphins outside linebacker. Two months after being publicly ridiculed by then-teammate Joey Porter for not being good enough to take reps away from the veteran pass-rusher, Wake leads the NFL with 14 sacks. Porter has five for the Cardinals.

Executive of the Year: Scott Pioli, Chiefs general manager. He assembled a collection of coaches and players that quickly turned the Chiefs into a formidable franchise.

Assistant Coach of the Year: Charlie Weis, Chiefs offensive coordinator. His offense ranks ninth overall and first in rushing. He has put quarterback Matt Cassel in situations that make him look like a star.

Last weekend, Miami Dolphins linebacker Channing Crowder said something unbelievable.

What else is new, right?

Crowder made a surprising claim that sent Cameron Wake to the Internet. Wake logged onto NFL.com and clicked on the stats page.

"I actually checked," Wake said, "and there my picture was."

Wake saw his own face staring back at him. The photo accompanies the list of sacks leaders. He didn't know he was on top until Crowder informed him.

All at once, Wake's long, bizarre football journey reached another milestone in just his second NFL season.

The undrafted player who couldn't get invited to training camp as a rookie, who spent two years working as a mortgage agent and a fitness trainer, who underwent a name change along the way, who went to play in the Canadian Football League and then who, once making it to the NFL, got ripped by a star teammate for not being good enough, leads the league with 14 sacks.

"It just ... It's hard to explain in words what it means," said Wake, "coming from a guy literally sitting on the couch and watching games on Sunday and believing in the deepest part of your heart 'I can play this game and need an opportunity.'

"I thank the stars and my angels every day the Miami Dolphins gave that opportunity. Every time I step on that field I treat it as a blessing."

He has been an impact outside linebacker all season. Wake recorded sacks on two of the New York Jets' final three plays to close out a 10-6 victory Sunday at the Meadowlands. He forced a fumble on the first sack, but Jets guard Brandon Moore recovered.

Wake's certainly headed for his first Pro Bowl and will be considered for the NFL's defensive player of the year.

"He might actually be the best option for defensive player of the year," Scouts Inc. analyst Matt Williamson said. "Some of the other top guys like Trent Cole and Clay Matthews have slowed down, but Wake continues to get better."

Wake will have a great opportunity to pad his sack total Sunday against the Buffalo Bills. He collects a majority of his sacks from the offense's right, and that side of the Bills' line has been caved in.

"He is very, very quick, and he's relentless," Bills head coach Chan Gailey said. "He has a good feel for it. He understands when he has leverage on a tackle, whether it's underneath the leverage or outside leverage. He's able to take advantage of it."

Wake turns 29 years old next month. That means he's entering his prime, but in many ways he's still in the developmental stage because of his strange but inspiring path to the NFL.

He went by the name Derek Wake when he was a linebacker and a captain at Penn State, aka Linebacker U.

But he wasn't much of a pro prospect despite raw athleticism. Nobody drafted him in 2005. The New York Giants signed Wake as a rookie free agent to play 4-3 stack linebacker. After one set of organized team activities in shorts, the Giants cut him.

Bill Sheridan, the Giants' linebackers coach at the time, can laugh (a little) about their gross misjudgment. Sheridan is Wake's position coach with the Dolphins now.

"I bet we never got to see him do one pass rush in that entire OTA," Sheridan said of Wake's brief look with the Giants. "We were trying to teach him how to play linebacker and pass drop. He never had a chance to demonstrate any of this.

"Obviously in hindsight that was very foolish on our part because we let him go."

You know who looks really foolish these days? Joey Porter.

Porter went on a media rampage the week before the Super Bowl 10 months ago, ripping into the Dolphins' organization for daring to give Wake some situational snaps last year ahead of him and Jason Taylor.

The Dolphins had no choice but to dump the inflammatory Porter. He eventually signed with the Arizona Cardinals and is tied for 38th in the NFL with five sacks. Taylor is tied for 55th with four sacks.

"If I got a dollar for all the naysayers and doubters that I've encountered in the last two, three years, I'd be a very, very wealthy man," Wake said. "I've had people that claim to be close to you, claim to be your friends, your family, coaches, teammates, everybody at some point all along the line has had something to say.

"But at the end of the day I had to stick to my goal, stick to my dream. I didn't really care if Joey Porter or anybody else said I couldn't do it. It was about me and going out there and saying 'I believe I can' and going out there and showing everybody I can."

The Dolphins certainly feel vindicated in their decision to catapult Porter from the roster.

They took a gamble with the swap. Wake was an unproven NFL commodity, while Porter led the Dolphins in sacks the previous two seasons. In 2008, Porter topped the AFC with 17.5 sacks.

"When you make a move like that and you move out veteran players and you put a guy into the lineup that obviously hasn't played a lot," Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano said, "from a coaching standpoint, it's always good to see him validate your convictions.

"We were just convinced the more than Cameron would play the better he would get. We just felt getting a young player in there with that kind of energy and athleticism was the right thing to do."

Wake arrived in Miami as a project, but an intriguing one. He was a superstar pass-rusher in two Canadian Football League seasons with the BC Lions, amassing 39 sacks and earning its defensive player of the year award both times. The Dolphins outbid the Bills, Indianapolis Colts and Denver Broncos for his services, giving him a five-year deal that was the richest in CFL-to-NFL history.

"Ability-wise, there aren't going to be too many guys in the league more blessed than Cam," Sheridan said. "But he can be a more dominant player on a down-in, down-out basis."

Wake's run-stopping and pass-coverage skills remain, as Sparano said, "a work in progress." But Sparano also said Wake's development in those areas "has been really remarkable."

That's why Wake can't be considered a situational player. He is an every-down player on the NFL's fifth-ranked defense.

"He is exceptional," Williamson said. "His run defense was a big problem before this season, but he has corrected that. And he is a stud pass-rusher. He turns speed into power very effectively, has a nice array of moves and is very quick and agile while also consistently hustling to the whistle. He's a real handful."

On a weekly basis, the NFL is discovering just that.

Even if he wasn't aware how great his sack numbers were until Crowder told him, Wake is showing how -- all along -- he knew more about himself than a lot of others assumed.

He can do this.

"It's been a crazy road, a long road," Wake said. "I just enjoy playing football and living the dream."

Power Rankings: Preseason: No. 13. This week: No. 17.

2010 schedule/results

Where they stand: The Dolphins are 4-4 and in third place in the AFC East, two games behind the New York Jets and New England Patriots. But the Dolphins' gap really is greater than that because they're in serious tiebreaker trouble. They've lost to the Jets and Patriots and two other AFC teams apparently bound for the playoffs, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens. Unless the Jets and Patriots collapse, the Dolphins might already be down to competing with a half-dozen teams for the final wild-card spot.

Falling: The Dolphins were supposed to have a magnificent and multifaceted offense after trading for receiver Brandon Marshall. That gave Chad Henne one of the NFL's elite go-to targets in addition to Davone Bess in the slot and one of the most respected backfield tandems around. The offense has been frail both on the ground and through the air. Offensive coordinator Dan Henning has overseen only 11 touchdowns. Only the Carolina Panthers have fewer. Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams have combined for three rushing touchdowns. Marshall has one touchdown.

On defense, the Dolphins have been decent. They rank 13th in total defense and 16th in scoring defense. But they haven't been ball hawks under new defensive coordinator Mike Nolan. The Buffalo Bills are the only team with fewer interceptions. No team has recovered fewer fumbles. As a result, the Dolphins are a minus-7 in turnover margin.

Rising: Outside linebackers Cameron Wake and Koa Misi have chased down quarterbacks well. That was a concern in the offseason after cutting ties with Joey Porter and losing Jason Taylor to free agency. Wake is in his second NFL season, while Misi is a rookie. They have combined for 12 sacks, four shy of Porter's and Taylor's total last year. Also on defense, left cornerback Vontae Davis remains prone to the occasional lapse, but he has emerged as one of the league's top young pass defenders.

Bess is one of the NFL's most underrated players, but the Dolphins certainly value him. They signed Bess to a lucrative three-year extension. He leads all Dolphins players with three touchdowns. He's on pace to have 88 receptions for 902 yards.

Midseason MVP: Based on statistical production, Marshall would be the choice. He's on pace for 104 receptions and 1,236 yards. But he has only one touchdown, and I have a hard time selecting any offensive player as Dolphins MVP. That's why my pick is Wake, who ranks second in the NFL with 8.5 sacks.

Outlook: The Dolphins will have trouble making the playoffs, but it's certainly possible to accomplish. You can reason they are one debatable officiating decision from being 5-3 with a victory over the Steelers. Nevertheless, the Dolphins will need to go 6-2 in their remaining games to be confident in their postseason hopes and 5-3 at the very least. They'll need to get hot, and the key to that will be a clicking offense.

The Miami Dolphins went into the season with a big question mark at outside linebacker.

Joey Porter and Jason Taylor departed, leaving the Dolphins with a raw pass-rusher in his second NFL season and a rookie.

Would Cameron Wake and Koa Misi be good enough to generate pressure?

So far, they have made an impact. Wake leads the Dolphins with 6.5 sacks and 15 quarterback hits. Misi is second with 3.5 sacks, putting him on pace to break Lorenzo Bromell's club record of eight rookie sacks. Misi also is second with six quarterback hits.

Misi ranks second among all rookies in sacks, one behind Ndamukong Suh. Misi has been in on a sack in each of his past three games.

"Having a young guy out there who's hungry and eager every time they get on the field," Wake said, "kind of reminds me of myself last year, trying to get out there and just have a chance to make plays. He's definitely doing well for himself, and I obviously expect much more in the future."

The Dolphins have 17 sacks, tied for ninth in the league. But they rank third in sacks per pass play.

Dolphins coach Tony Sparano noted before Sunday's game against the Pittsburgh Steelers that Wake and Misi continue to evolve into complete outside linebackers.

"These two young players [Wake and Misi] are getting better and better each week," Sparano said. "Each week they're doing something better on film, not only in the pass-rush game, and that's where sometimes people think they have to judge these outside linebackers."

Wake is fourth on the team with 20 tackles, and nine of them have been for losses. Misi has 14 tackles and two fumble recoveries, most on the team and tied for second in the NFL.

Nobody can deny outside linebacker Cameron Wake is compiling a Pro Bowl campaign for the Miami Dolphins.

One of Miami's biggest concerns before the season was how it would generate a pass rush without Joey Porter and Jason Taylor. That issue appears to be resolved.

Wake recorded three sacks, including an overtime biggie I selected as my AFC East decisive moment for the week (check back later for that story), to help the Dolphins beat the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field.

His performance Sunday is the sort that captures league-wide attention and thrusts a player into Pro Bowl conversations. Deion Sanders was banging Wake's drum Monday on the NFL Network.

Wake has six sacks this year, tying him for fourth in the NFL, 2.5 behind league leader Clay Matthews. Wake also has eight tackles for losses and 13 quarterback hits -- both team-highs. He has Miami's only forced fumble and three passes defensed.

Looks like Wake finally has arrived after several years of relative anonymity. He wasn't drafted out of Penn State, was cut by the New York Giants before he could make it to camp, shuffled mortgage papers and worked as a personal trainer and then caught the attention of NFL scouts with two stupendous seasons in the Canadian Football League.

That's why he's in just his second NFL season and a first-time starter for the Dolphins at almost 29 years old.

Porter created a fuss last winter, publicly ridiculing the Dolphins' coaching staff and front office for taking him off the field in favor of Wake in certain situations. The rants eventually got Porter released.

But Porter was wrong. Wake was on the make.

Football Outsiders managing editor Bill Barnwell noted Wake had nine quarterback hurries last year, tying him with Larry English and Ahmad Brooks for the league lead among linebackers with five starts or fewer.

Wake's sack total so far this year, by the way, is two more than Taylor (three) and Porter (one) combined.

» NFC Stock Watch: East | West | North | South » AFC: East | West | North | South

FALLING

Braylon Edwards, Jets receiver: If not for what transpired Tuesday morning, Edwards would be listed among the "Rising" this week. He had a big game Sunday against the Patriots, making several clutch receptions for first downs, a touchdown and a two-point conversion. Then he allegedly scored again, this time a 0.16 on a breathalyzer, and brought more shame on the Jets at a time when they're trying to get their frat house in order.

Chan Gailey, Bills head coach: He's a coach who has shown creativity in generating yards and points everywhere he has been. But he hasn't found any traction in Buffalo. He already has benched Trent Edwards, the quarterback he coached to be the starter all summer. Star rookie C.J. Spiller has 9 rushing yards, 31 receiving yards and no touchdowns. The other two backs Gailey gushed about -- Marshawn Lynch and Fred Jackson -- have combined for 135 yards and one touchdown. Lee Evans, one of the NFL's highest-paid receivers, had zero receptions Sunday.

Darius Butler, Patriots cornerback: Bill Belichick yanked him from the game Sunday. Braylon Edwards' aforementioned big game came at Butler's expense. He also had a rough afternoon against the Bengals in Week 1, but that was glossed over by the Patriots' victory. Bills quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick isn't Daryle Lamonica, but he does like to go deep more than Trent Edwards. If Butler is on Evans this week, the Bills certainly will test him.

RISING

Mark Sanchez, Jets quarterback: He rebounded from his least-productive game as a pro to have his best day. He posted a career-high 124.3 passer rating, threw three touchdown passes for the first time and completed 70 percent of his attempts.

Mike Nolan, Dolphins defensive coordinator: The Dolphins have scored only two offensive touchdowns, but they are 2-0 because Nolan's defense has been that good. Adrian Peterson gashed them for much of Sunday's game in the Metrodome, but the Dolphins came up with a great goal-line stand. Vikings quarterback Brett Favre committed four turnovers: two interceptions to Jason Allen, another to Vontae Davis and a fumble Koa Misi recovered for a big touchdown (see below).

Cameron Wake, Dolphins outside linebacker: One of Miami's biggest question marks was whether their young pass-rushers could replace the production of free-agent departures Joey Porter and Jason Taylor. Wake has done a nice job so far. He has 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble in the end zone that was recovered for the decisive touchdown in Sunday's 14-10 victory over the Vikings.

The Miami Dolphins head into their final preseason week not entirely settled at linebacker.

Tony Sparano is moving his players around in hopes of finding the right mix. Inside linebackers Channing Crowder and Tim Dobbins have been battling injuries. So Sparano is trying outside linebacker Charlie Anderson on the inside.

An intriguing player to monitor is Ikaika Alama-Francis, a converted down lineman who didn't play high school football, has been mounting a summer drive to crack the starting lineup at outside linebacker.

After another solid preseason performance Friday night, Alama-Francis shared first-team reps with rookie Koa Misi at strongside outside linebacker in Sunday's practice. Misi still projects as the starter opposite Cameron Wake, but Alama-Francis has been a revelation.

"I love it, man," is what Alama-Francis told me at Dolphins camp three weeks ago.

Sparano has been steadily impressed with him at outside linebacker since training camp began. It's important for the Dolphins to find those types of players with Jason Taylor and Joey Porter signing elsewhere.

"He's a handful in the rush," Sparano said a week into camp. "He set the edge of the defense pretty well, strong guy and very, very smart."

When Sparano said that, Alama-Francis hadn't been an outside linebacker for long, just a handful of practices. But it wasn't the first time Alama-Francis had switched on a whim, and this change brought an opportunity to stick in the NFL after bombing out with the Detroit Lions.

Alama-Francis is the son of Joe Francis, who backed up Bart Starr for two seasons with the Green Bay Packers. But Alama-Francis didn't play organized football until his sophomore year at Hawaii. He was a basketball walk-on, but football coach June Jones convinced him to convert.

The Lions drafted Alama-Francis 58th overall in 2007. He played tackle and end under D-line specialist Rod Marinelli, but started only two games over two seasons. The Lions cut him at the end of last year's preseason. He remained unemployed until November, when the Dolphins signed him to play defensive end at 6-foot-5 and 290 pounds.

Then, with three offseason workouts to go before summer break, the Dolphins approached Alama-Francis about standing on two feet for the first time. No more springing out of a three-point stance. They wanted him to try outside linebacker.

Sparano and linebackers coach Bill Sheridan saw something in the way Alama-Francis moved for a player his size. Alama-Francis said he had "three good practices" to show he could handle the gig.

"That's not a lot," he said. "When they're throwing things at you to see how you'll react, you have to do the best you can with what's been given to you. But it was an opportunity, and I embraced it. I was thankful."

After those three OTA workouts, Sparano didn't view the move as experimental anymore. Alama-Francis is at about 275 pounds now.

"Moving from a different position, it's a total 180, dropping into coverage," Alama-Francis said. "When you're on the line, you're moving forward. When you're standing up, you see a lot more and you've got to be aware a lot more. Rushing the passer, coming off the edge and dropping into coverage, I'm excited about all that."

Who was the greatest NFL player to wear a specific jersey number?

SI.com decided to find out and produced a list sure to create debate. The package, which includes plenty of vintage photos, was published Wednesday.

SI.com's Richard Deitsch explained the process:

A team of SI.com's finest numerologists crunched the data on jersey numbers to come up with the best performers in professional football at each number from 00 to 99. We based our decision on a combination of impact on the game, statistics and team success during the player's time wearing that number.

Here are the AFC East fellows who made the rundown from 00 to 99 ...

4. Brett Favre, Jets quarterback: Hey, he spent a season there.

12. Tom Brady, Patriots quarterback: Deitsch called this the toughest call over Terry Bradshaw. There's also Joe Namath and Roger Staubach.

13. Dan Marino, Dolphins quarterback: This selection was listed among the eight simplest to make.

23. Troy Vincent, Patriots and Bills defensive back: Next runner-up was Mel Gray.

39. Larry Csonka, Dolphins running back: Selected ahead of Hall of Famer Hugh McElhenny and Patriots fullback Sam Cunningham.

55. Junior Seau, Dolphins and Patriots linebacker: Willie McGinest and Joey Porter mentioned as "worthy of consideration."

57. Dwight Stephenson, Dolphins center: Thin crew when Bart Scott was in the all-time mix.

62. Jim Langer, Dolphins center: Name another No. 62. Quick!

67. Reggie McKenzie, Bills guard: Member of O.J. Simpson's famed Electric Company, but ahead of Dolphins guard Bob Kuechenberg?

73. John Hannah, Patriots guard: Other AFC East runners-up include Joe Klecko and Bob Baumhower.

ESPN.com NFL Power Ranking (pre-camp): 13

DAVIE, Fla. -- The Miami Dolphins might be the best NFL team people don't notice.

They're often overlooked in the AFC East. The New England Patriots have at least tied for the division's best record in nine straight seasons, and the big-talking New York Jets, coming off an appearance in the conference title game, are a fashionable Super Bowl pick.

Miami shouldn't be discounted.

Head coach Tony Sparano, who dropped 55 pounds in the offseason, wants his players to be hungry. The theme of training camp is "Feed the Wolf," a slogan he put on T-shirts in response to the Dolphins sliding from 11-5 and a division championship to a losing record last year.

"I had a meeting with the group and kind of got into them a little bit during practice about 7-9 not being good enough and how this football team shouldn’t be fat," Sparano explained. "They should be starving.

"One of the things that we talk about is feeding the wolf with little successes every day. ... We feed the wolf when we do something good, and that's what our guys understand. Small successes will lead to bigger successes down the way."

So when it comes to the AFC East race, dare we call Miami a sheep in wolf's silk-screened clothing?

THREE HOT ISSUES

1. What will the Chad Henne-to-Brandon Marshall connection mean to the offense? The Dolphins have been all about the ground game since Bill Parcells and Sparano took over in 2008. Ronnie Brown, Ricky Williams, rugged offensive line, the Wildcat, possession receivers ... Run, run, run.

Last year, the Dolphins ranked fourth in run offense and 20th in pass offense. Henne threw the fewest touchdown passes of any quarterback with at least 400 attempts. Just five of those touchdowns went to wide receivers.

Marshall's arrival can change that dramatically. While the Dolphins will continue to rely on their ground game, Henne now has a go-to target on third-and-critical or in the red zone. Marshall's amazing talents are on display every day at camp. He has sensational hands, outleaps helpless defenders and can snatch any ball remotely in his area.

Don't expect Marshall to extend his streak to four seasons of at least 100 receptions, but his presence gives Henne the kind of target who opens up all sorts of possibilities the Dolphins haven't had in years.

2. Will unproven outside linebackers provide enough of a pass rush with Joey Porter and Jason Taylor out the door? The Dolphins' 44 sacks last season tied for third in the NFL. But four of their top six contributors, totaling 28 sacks, either are no longer on the team (Porter and Taylor), playing a new position (Randy Starks) or out for year (Phillip Merling).

The Dolphins are counting on Cameron Wake and rookie Koa Misi, a pair of tantalizing-but-unverified pass-rushers, to handle most of the workload. Starks has the most sacks of any returning player with seven. But he has been moved to nose tackle, a position where Pro Bowlers record one or two sacks a year.

Wake's 5.5 sacks were next on the list. By the looks of his performances in camp, he'll be a force on passing downs even if he can't stop the run as effectively as the Dolphins would prefer. Misi, a second-round draft choice, has handled first-team reps with aplomb.

3. What will the interior offensive line look like? The Dolphins should have the makings of a nasty offensive line, but the inner three positions aren't solidified.

The Dolphins have had trouble settling on a center. Two years ago, they signed free agent Jake Grove and traded away Samson Satele. Now Grove is alternating first-team reps with Joe Berger for a spot that's up for grabs.

At guard, incumbent Donald Thomas, third-round draft choice John Jerry and free-agent signee Richie Incognito are fighting -- in Incognito's case, literally -- for jobs.

Sparano, an O-line aficionado at his core, wants his center and guards to be more than maulers in the run game. They must be better pass protectors.

"People think the left tackle's the only guy that [pass blocks on an island]," Sparano said. "But that's not true when you're turning the protection away from one of them. So to identify who can really handle those one-on-one battles is going to be important for us. That to me is what has to get better."

BIGGEST SURPRISE

Ikaika Alama-Francis wasn't good enough to stick with the 0-16 Detroit Lions. He was their second-round draft choice in 2007, but they cut the young defensive end after two seasons. He was on the street for two months before the Dolphins signed him in November. Alama-Francis was a healthy scratch for all six games he was on the roster and an afterthought heading into the offseason.

But with three workouts left until the Dolphins broke for the summer, they switched him to outside linebacker. Alama-Francis weighed 290 when he joined the Dolphins in November. He's an explosive 275 now.

"He looks like a linebacker out there, moving around right now," Sparano said. "He's a handful in the rush. He sets the edge of the defense pretty well, strong guy and very, very smart. I like what he's done."

BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT

Quarterback Pat White hasn't shown any obvious signs of development to contradict the general belief Miami wasted a second-round draft pick on him last year. White missed the first day of training camp because of unexplained personal reasons. One report, quoting a family member, suggested White wouldn't play this year. He arrived the next day, but he hasn't shown much.

White has gotten limited reps, buried behind Henne, Chad Pennington and Tyler Thigpen. When given the opportunity, White's passes are scattershot, albeit more accurate than last year.

Merling would have been the easy choice here had he made it to training camp. Before he could get there, he was charged with felony assault of his pregnant girlfriend and suffered a season-ending Achilles injury.

OBSERVATION DECK

• You can't comprehend the size of some players until you see them in person. Marshall and Karlos Dansby are two of those guys. We can lose perspective when we're inundated with athlete heights and weights that are often fudged, but Marshall (6-4, 230) and Dansby (6-4, 250) are monstrous for their positions.
• Starks' transition from defensive end to nose tackle has been interesting. He's small for the job at 6-foot-3 and 305 pounds, but his speed and athleticism have created problems for the Dolphins' O-line.
• Second-year receiver Patrick Turner is having an erratic summer. When I first laid eyes on him at rookie camp in 2009, I immediately was struck with how great his hands were. Turner made catching a football seem so effortless. He has been plagued by drops throughout this training camp, and when he does make a catch his teammates sound overly encouraging -- "Way to go, Pat!" -- to keep his confidence up. Turner was inactive for 14 games last year because he has no special-teams value. If the Dolphins can't trust him as a receiver, he'll have a hard time getting on the field.
• Free safety Chris Clemons, a fifth-round draft choice last year, has looked like he belongs. The position was viewed as a question mark when the Dolphins axed Gibril Wilson, but Clemons has had some bright moments.
• I'd be shocked if any star has signed more autographs in training camp than Marshall. After every open session, he slowly walks along the fence and puts his signature on every piece of memorabilia or scrap of paper thrust in front of him. Maybe he's doing his penance for past misdeeds, but Dolfans have no reason but to love him so far.
• Tough break for running back Kory Sheets, who suffered a season-ending right Achilles injury while returning a kickoff Wednesday. He had a nice shot to make the roster and made one of the most eye-popping plays I saw during my stay. On Monday night, he exploded through the offensive line and got into the second level with such speed, his teammates reflexively screamed "Whooooo!"
• Veteran cornerback Will Allen, rebounding from a knee injury, has been the team's nickelback. The Dolphins want sophomores Vontae Davis and Sean Smith to stay on the field. Although Allen would be a quality contributor, his contract could put him on the bubble. He has two years left on his contract with base salaries that total $10.7 million.
• Two years ago, Greg Camarillo was the Dolphins' best receiver. Now he looks like the fourth receiver behind Marshall, Brian Hartline and Davone Bess. That's a nice problem for Miami to have.
• Like the Buffalo Bills, the Dolphins aren't fooling around with extra legs in camp. They know Dan Carpenter will be their kicker and Brandon Fields will be their punter and aren't bothering to push them.
• Just talking out loud here because I realize frustrating receiver Ted Ginn had to go, but what if the Dolphins still had his speed to stretch the field with Marshall? That would have been a challenge for opposing defenses.

Some Buffalo Bills fans took umbrage with a remark I made in a Wednesday blog item about their team's playoff chances.

New coach Chan Gailey wondered out loud why the Bills couldn't get to the playoffs.

I proposed if the Bills reached the postseason this year, then it might be considered a more miraculous feat than the Miami Dolphins rebounding from a 1-15 record to win the AFC East in 2008.

Allow me to explain my thinking and then feel free to share your opinion in the comments section below.

I understand the Bills weren't as bad last year as the abysmal '07 Dolphins were on the field.

Still, the Dolphins winning the AFC East is more plausible to me because (other than the fact they actually did it) the organizational cultures were significantly different for the Dolphins at this time in 2008 compared to where the Bills are today.

The main reason is Bill Parcells, who was given complete control over football operations. The Dolphins already had a few incumbent stars on their roster: running backs Ronnie Brown and Ricky Williams and outside linebacker Joey Porter. They drafted franchise left tackle Jake Long with the No. 1 pick.

Parcells drew proven coaches and free agents to the club. The Dolphins also made trades. They acquired quarterback Chad Pennington, tight end Anthony Fasano, guard Justin Smiley and nose tackle Jason Ferguson.

People wanted to be Dolphins.

Compare that to the Bills, who haven't been to the playoffs for a decade and have one winning season in that span. The Dolphins have four seasons of double-digit victories since the Bills last appeared in the playoffs.

I like what Gailey and general manager Buddy Nix are doing to rebuild the program, but they don't have the automatic credibility Parcells brings.

The Bills have little star power or drawing power. Their most-accomplished player, two-time Pro Bowl defensive end Aaron Schobel, apparently wanted out. They aren't entirely sure who their quarterback will be -- or their offensive tackles. Their top free-agent signings were defensive end Dwan Edwards and inside linebacker Andra Davis, nice players but not course-changers.

While the Dolphins had Long under contract before the draft, the Bills still haven't signed rookie running back C.J. Spiller, the ninth overall pick, a week into camp.

The competition is tougher for Buffalo this year than it was for Miami in 2008. Miami had an amazingly easy schedule, playing the soft AFC West and NFC West. Miami's combined opponents went 118-138 for a .461 win percentage that season. Aside from Bill Belichick, the AFC East coaches Tony Sparano had to match wits with were Eric Mangini and Dick Jauron.

The Bills' schedule strength is tied for 14th based on last year's records at 128-128. They will have to play the rugged AFC North and NFC North in cross-division games. Gailey has to face Belichick, Rex Ryan and Sparano in the division.

That's why I look at the Bills' chances to make the playoffs and think it can be debated their road ahead is tougher than what the Dolphins had in 2008.

DAVIE, Fla. -- Sacks allowed aren't an official NFL stat, yet some statistical services break down film in an attempt to come up with a number.

Miami Dolphins left tackle Jake Long gave up four or five, depending on the critic. Not many for a blocker trying to fend off blindside attacks. That's why Long went to his second Pro Bowl in two seasons.

In the past week, Long has surrendered about as many sacks to outside linebacker Cameron Wake as he did through 16 games last year.

"Cam's good, man," said Long, his face covered in sweat and grass after Wednesday morning's training-camp workout.

Wake, the former Canadian Football League phenom, has a grand chance to make an impact for the Dolphins' defense. All-decade outside linebackers, Joey Porter and Jason Taylor, are gone.

"That opportunity's out there," Wake said, "and every day I'm just trying to go out there and learn and improve and let the coaches in the organization [know] you can be one of those guys that can make plays."

The Dolphins imported Wake last year after two obnoxious seasons for the BC Lions. Wake, an undrafted defensive end out of Penn State, amassed 39 sacks -- 16 as a rookie and 23 the second year.

The NFL transition wasn't smooth. Wake possessed obvious athleticism, but wasn't an impact performer right away. He was scratched the first two games. His lone start came in the regular-season finale. He finished with 11 tackles but had 5.5 sacks, showing Miami's front office enough to confidently cut ties with Porter and Taylor.

Long has been impressed by Wake's development from one training camp to the next.

"He's still got the same moves, but he's perfected them," Long said. "He's gotten better and better as the year went on last year. He's better than he was last year. He's just working on his specific moves and getting better at it."

Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano cited Long versus Wake as the type of mutually beneficial battle that makes teams more competitive against real opponents.

"Playing against Jake Long every day, and Jake getting to block a guy like Cameron, this makes us a little bit better each and every day out here," Sparano said. "When you get to the game and you're playing against whoever that left tackle is, you're going to feel like you've played against a pretty darn good one in practice."

Two professional football teams can't get much farther apart than Vancouver and South Florida, and no one in their right mind can expect a 23-sack season, but it appears Wake is starting to feel at home in the NFL.

"This year is a little different," Wake said. "I'm more comfortable. I've been here for a year and half now. I know the city. I know the routine. I know the coaching staff. It's just one of those things where you get in a comfort zone and go out and play defense."

DAVIE, Fla. -- Koa Misi's job is to create mayhem.

His daily objective at practice, however, is conflict avoidance.

"I don't want to be messing up in front of the coaches and getting yelled at," the rookie outside linebacker said after the Miami Dolphins training-camp workout Tuesday.

Misi is doing a fine job staying out of trouble.

The Dolphins drafted Misi in the second round out of Utah to bolster their uncertain pass rush. He has crackled as a first-team outside linebacker, giving head coach Tony Sparano plenty to be pleased about.

Misi's development will be crucial to the Dolphins' defensive success. They were lacking on the edge last season and parted ways with Joey Porter and Jason Taylor, a pair of all-decade pass-rushers. Misi, as a 4-3 defensive end, had eight sacks in his past two seasons at Utah.

"What I'm finding with him, at least right now, is that when you tell him something once, it kind of goes into this black book over here somewhere," Sparano said, "and he kind of figures out that that's really important.

"Little by little, he's getting it, and he's not making the same mistake over and over again, which is good. There are some guys out here right now that are making some of the same mistakes. We're correcting the same thing. He's not one of those guys. So I have to believe it's going to happen quicker."

Sparano mentioned finer points such as hand placement and footwork as areas Misi must concentrate on, but added Misi's speed off the edge "has been pretty impressive."

"He has a unique ability not to stay blocked very long," Sparano said. "He can get off blocks and get out of trouble fast which is good news, but fundamentally he can put himself in bad positions if he doesn't understand the proper footwork."

Misi explained his attention to detail came from trying to please his father. Sione Misi played on the offensive line for the University of Hawaii.

Bob Padecky of the Santa Rosa Press Democrat wrote an interesting piece last month about how Koa Misi's love for football developed under his father. Sione Misi's close friend, former San Francisco 49ers offensive lineman Jesse Sapolu, also was influential.

Koa Misi said he takes immense pride in his study habits and claimed he frequently is pouring over the playbook with one mission in mind: Stay out of trouble.

"Growing up, my dad was a pretty hard guy," said Koa Misi, who once told the story of his disappointed father coming out of the stands at a high school game to deliver a motivational head butt. "I didn't like to make mistakes twice with my dad there. That's something that transfers on the field. When I make a mistake, I don't want to make it again."

The Buffalo Bills will need to be careful in how they handle their break from pass-rusher Aaron Schobel.

Their best bet would be to trade him for as little as a late-round draft pick, not only to get an asset for their troubles, but also to have some sort of control over where Schobel lands.

Problem is, interested teams know the Bills have had it with Schobel. Bills general manager Buddy Nix publicly declared Schobel never will play for them again. So teams won't be as motivated to make a trade. They'll just wait for the Bills to cut him.

As a free agent, Schobel will have his choice of multiple suitors and could haunt the Bills by staying in the AFC East. While the Bills are in rebuilding mode and can dump the dithering Schobel in good conscience, their division rivals have loftier goals.

Teams can always use a proven pass-rush specialist.

He'll turn 33 in a month, but he's only two years removed from his second Pro Bowl honor. He has recorded 78 sacks in his nine NFL seasons.

The New England Patriots are an obvious possibility. They are thin at outside linebacker. Derrick Burgess has declined to report to training camp and is contemplating retirement. The Patriots released Shawn Crable last week.

ESPNBoston.com's Mike Reiss examined the possibility Bill Belichick would pursue Schobel, noting Schobel has been a Patriots killer over the years -- in terms of sacks if not victories.

The Miami Dolphins also have questions at outside linebacker. They've moved on from Joey Porter and Jason Taylor, and while they're excited about prospects Cameron Wake and Koa Misi, a veteran presence on the edge never hurts a team's playoff chances.

And what about the New York Jets? They identified their pass rush as an area to address over the offseason. The Jets brought Taylor aboard to join Calvin Pace and Bryan Thomas. The Jets might seem set at outside linebacker, but head coach Rex Ryan and general manager Mike Tannenbaum have been collecting players. They even explored Terrell Owens last week and eventually added Laveranues Coles despite already having a formidable receiver corps.

ESPN analysts Herm Edwards and Mark Schlereth take a look at the major questions facing each AFC East squad.

Among their chief concerns:

Can the New York Jets deal with the expectations?

How will the New England Patriots generate a pass rush?

Will the Miami Dolphins' defensive be enough to compete for the division title?

Do the Buffalo Bills have three quarterbacks or none?