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MIAMI -- You could hear a pin drop for long stretches in the second half.

To my left was a guy sleeping in a luxury box in the third quarter. His head was leaning on his left hand, occasionally bobbing back and forth.

Below me in the crowd another guy was asleep during the fourth. His feet up were on the guardrail while friends jokingly took pictures.

By the final quarter the upper deck could have used a tarp. It was Jacksonville-esque.

Welcome to the lifeless Sun Life Stadium -- home of the 2011 Miami Dolphins.

I won't pretend to know every reason many Dolphins fans don't show up to support this year's team. I'm new to the AFC East and new to Miami. But I'm sure the Dolphins' awful track record at home has a lot to do with it.

Miami had a plethora of miscues and sloppy play in Sunday's 23-13 home loss to the Houston Texans. It was the second straight loss for the Dolphins (0-2) at home. The team also fell to 1-11 in its past 12 games at Sun Life Stadium.

Yes, Miami is 1-11 in its past 12 home games.

How does this happen?

"It's just not acceptable,” Dolphins veteran cornerback Will Allen said. "There's no other way to really say it. It's not acceptable."

Dolphins starting running back Reggie Bush came from a winning franchise with the New Orleans Saints. He won a Super Bowl with New Orleans following the 2009 season. In Bush's previous three years with the Saints, they were 17-7 at home.

"I've always believed that you have to defend home at all cost -- no matter what," said Bush, who signed with Miami as a free agent. "It's your home. I look at it as if an intruder is coming into your home to rob you."

Many intruders have come into Sun Life Stadium to steal wins.

Here is Miami's roll call of home losses since Dec. 2009: Houston (twice), New England Patriots (twice), Pittsburgh Steelers (twice), New York Jets, Chicago Bears, Cleveland Browns, Buffalo Bills, Detroit Lions. It's a mix of good teams and bad teams. Twelve opponents came to Miami, and 11 have conquered.

Perhaps what's most disturbing about Miami's abysmal home record is there's not one particular thing you can put a finger on.

Miami lost at home in shootouts, such as its 38-24 defeat last week to New England. The Dolphins lost defensive battles, such as last year's home defeats to Buffalo (17-14) and Chicago (16-0). Miami also lost strange games, like last year's fumble-that-wasn't game against Pittsburgh.

The only common theme is the "L" at the end of the game -- and it's showing in the stands. Many fans exited when Pro Bowl receiver Andre Johnson caught a 23-yard touchdown to give Houston a 10-point lead early in the fourth quarter.

There was still 10 minutes left for a potential Miami comeback. But Dolphins fans saw this story before. Miami is a vibrant town with a lot of options. Fans figured it was best to get a head start on traffic and move on to the next thing.

The Dolphins-Texans game could have been blacked out, but more than 10,000 tickets were reportedly purchased by the Dolphins so the game could be televised. The announced crowd of 51,032 people may have been generous. Sun Life Stadium holds about 75,000.

"Sure [you notice], but I mean we're not paying attention to that," said Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne, who threw for 170 yards, one touchdown and one interception. "We're worrying about winning the football game. People who are behind us are behind us. And if they're not, then we're still going to come out on Sundays and play the game."

The story this particular week was turnovers and mistakes for Miami.

Henne's interception led to Houston's only touchdown in the first half. A fumble by tailback Daniel Thomas (107 rushing yards) negated an otherwise good debut for the rookie. Former Pro Bowl kicker Dan Carpenter also had a field goal blocked and sailed one wide left.

That's all the edge a talented team like Houston (2-0) needs. The Texans didn't play their "A" game. But Miami's mistakes made for a double-digit road win for Houston.

Last week Miami head coach Tony Sparano said the team's theme was "On to Houston." Next week it's time to hit the road. It starts with the Browns (1-1).

The Dolphins have just one home game the rest of September and October. Although it's against conventional wisdom, maybe the Dolphins are better off that way. Miami was 6-2 on the road last season.

Every other team in the AFC East is off to a fast start. The Patriots, Bills and Jets are all undefeated. The division is deep and talented, and Miami is quickly falling behind.

"We made our bed," Miami linebacker Cameron Wake said. "and we're laying in it."

DAVIE, Fla. -- Miami Dolphins coach Tony Sparano had no interest in discussing last week's struggles against the New England Patriots.

"On to Houston," Sparano said.

What about Miami's lack of pass rush?

"We're on to Houston," Sparano said.

What's the message for bouncing back after the Patriots loss?

"On to Houston," Sparano said.

How did rookie center Mike Pouncey play in his regular-season debut?

"Houston," said Sparano, hammering the point home.

Sparano's message was clear: Miami cannot afford to look back -- even if the game just happened Monday. Coming off a short week, the Dolphins will try to avoid a 0-2 start at home Sunday against the Houston Texans (1-0). It will mark the second straight week Miami faces a high-powered offense.

Surprisingly, the biggest concern heading into Week 2 is Miami's defense. The unit was No. 6 in the NFL last season. But New England carved up Miami's defense for 622 yards, including 517 yards passing by quarterback Tom Brady.

On a night Miami's offense and quarterback Chad Henne played well, the defense was a liability. It was the opposite of last year's identity.

The Dolphins couldn't stop the pass Monday. They didn't stop the run. They had little pass rush and gave up big plays, including a 99-yard touchdown catch by Wes Welker. Miami also didn't tackle well and struggled defensively in the red zone. The Dolphins allowed New England to score touchdowns on four of six trips inside the 20.

There wasn't much good the Dolphins' defense could take away from Monday's game. It's probably one of those gut-wrenching tapes Miami wants to throw in the garbage and never watch again.

"That was embarrassing. There is no question about it," Dolphins safety Yeremiah Bell said candidly. "But we went through that tape and it's over. Now it's on to Houston and time to prove what kind of defense we really are."

Secondary players such as Bell often talk about having short memories. But it's up to an entire defense to forget what happened against New England. The Texans are coming into Sun Life Stadium with a lot of momentum after scoring 34 points in the first half of last week's 34-7 win against the Indianapolis Colts.

The Texans were the NFL's No. 3 offense in 2010 and No. 4 in passing. They have plenty of firepower with receiver Andre Johnson, quarterback Matt Schaub and Pro Bowl tailback Arian Foster (hamstring), who could make his season debut Sunday.

If Miami's poor defensive performance last week was a one-game fluke, we're about to find out.

"Everyone knows the defense is better than that," Dolphins starting cornerback Sean Smith said. "What we did is in the past. We're definitely looking forward to going out there and showing everybody that we can still get this thing rolling."

Miami's defense was active last season. The Dolphins were ranked in the top 10 in sacks (39) and total yards allowed in 2010. The Patriots gained more than 622 yards Monday and only allowed one sack to Miami linebacker Cameron Wake.

It's only Week 1, but the Dolphins are last in the NFL in total defense by a wide margin. The Patriots are the next closest team, allowing 488 yards to Miami's offense.

"I didn't see the fire from our guys that we usually play with," Bell said. "Whatever reason it was, we didn't have that fire. We need to get back to the basics. We need to get back to competing with guys and get in guys' faces like we did last year."

Someone had to pay the price for last week's debacle. There was one casualty: Dolphins veteran cornerback Benny Sapp. Miami cut Sapp this week after he allowed the 99-yard touchdown catch to Welker in the fourth quarter.

Miami re-signed veteran corner Will Allen and hopes he can help tighten up the pass defense. Allen spent the past five seasons with Miami and knows the defense well. The Dolphins cut Allen before the regular season.

Allen is a longtime starter and can play on the outside as well as the nickel role. It also doesn't hurt that he's coming back with a chip on his shoulder after being released.

"You always got something to prove, and that's what I think each and every player in this locker room feels like each and every day," Allen said. "Maybe not so much as far as practice. But on Sundays, stepping up and having different competitions and [being] challenged in different ways. Everybody has something to prove all the time."

Sunday is show-and-prove time for the Dolphins' defense, particularly the secondary. The common theme in Miami's locker room was, "Last week was last week." But if Miami’s defense lays another egg at home for the second straight game, doubt might start to creep in with this proud, veteran group.

"That wasn't us out there. We know that," Bell said. "It was the first game, and that's over with. So we're on to the Texans. We're going to put on a much better showing than we did Monday night, that's for sure.

The Miami Dolphins (0-1) will try to get in the win column Sunday against the Houston Texans (1-0). Here are Miami's biggest reasons for hope and concern in Week 2:

Reason for hope: Chad Henne/offense

Was it a one-game wonder? No one knows for sure. But quarterback Chad Henne and Miami's offense looked pretty good in a Week 1 loss to the New England Patriots. Despite some struggles on third down and in the red zone, Miami registered 488 total yards. Henne threw for a career-high 416 yards and produced three touchdowns (two passing, one rushing). Miami can win its share of games if Henne continues to play at this level. Miami also is getting healthier at running back. Rookie Daniel Thomas and fullback Charles Clay might both return Sunday from hamstring injuries. More depth could help spell Reggie Bush, who played every snap last week.

Reason for concern: Pass defense

Miami's defense was pretty good last season. The Dolphins ranked sixth in yards allowed in 2010. But I don't know if this group could play any worse than it did Monday night against New England. Yes, Tom Brady (517 yards, four touchdowns) was amazing. But Miami's missed tackles, blown coverages and lack of pass rush cannot be ignored. Miami made one casualty from that performance. Former Dolphins cornerback Benny Sapp was released and they added veteran corner Will Allen. Coming into the season, I considered Miami's defense the strength of the team. The Dolphins don't appear to be a team built to win high-scoring shootouts. It's going to be hard for Miami to avoid a slow start if the defense can't quickly round into form.

DAVIE, Fla. -- The Miami Dolphins returned to practice Wednesday following a 38-24 defeat to the New England Patriots on "Monday Night Football."

Here are several notes from the locker room:

• Veteran cornerback Will Allen is happy to be back with Miami. He was released when the team cut down to 53 players before the regular season. Allen said he had no ill feelings about Miami's decision. "This is a business," Allen said. "You just gotta understand that you can't take anything personal. As soon as you start taking stuff personal, you need to sit down and [quit]."
• Allen will be wearing No. 38 this season. It's an odd choice because Allen wore No. 25 his entire career with the Dolphins and New York Giants. Allen said there's no particular reason behind his new number. Miami rookie corner Jimmy Wilson has No. 25 and Allen couldn't switch because players can't change numbers once a regular-season game is played.
• Dolphins starting corner Sean Smith said he's not worried about future cramping. Smith claims he's never had issues with it in Miami before Monday. Smith and fellow corner Vontae Davis cramped up in the second half versus New England and were in and out of the lineup. "I’m in top-notch shape; I was hydrated," Smith said. "I have no clue what the reason for that was."
• Speaking of injuries, Miami is getting healthier at running back. Tailback Daniel Thomas (hamstring) and fullback Charles Clay (hamstring) both had full participation in practice. Dolphins head coach Tony Sparano said starting tailback Reggie Bush played every offensive snap last Monday against New England.
• Dolphins who did not practice Wednesday were defensive end Jason Taylor (ankle), safety Chris Clemons (hamstring), defensive end Tony McDaniel (hand) and receiver Roberto Wallace (quad).

Just a couple days after getting torched by the New England Patriots, the Miami Dolphins brought back a familiar face to the secondary with cornerback Will Allen. ESPN's Adam Schefter reports Allen agreed to a one-year contract.

Here are some thoughts on the signing.

• Allen was released before the regular season when the Dolphins cut their roster down to 53 players. But Allen remained on Miami's short list. The move was made at the time more for financial reasons than performance-based ones. Allen had a history of injuries and the Dolphins did not want to guarantee his $1.5 million salary in 2011.
• Allen, when healthy, is an upgrade over Benny Sapp. Other than a tipped ball that led to an interception, Sapp struggled against New England. He gave up several plays and was the victim during Patriots receiver Wes Welker's 99-yard touchdown catch in the fourth quarter. The Dolphins released Sapp on Tuesday.
• Allen should be able to make an immediate impact. He was with the Dolphins all through training camp and spent the past five years with the team. He knows the playbook well. The Dolphins are looking for answers. So don't be surprised if Allen plays an important role behind starting corners Sean Smith and Vontae Davis Sunday against the Houston Texans.

Buffalo Bills

Sal Maiorana of the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle: "Aaron Maybin's status as arguably the most seismic draft bust in Buffalo Bills history was secured Monday when the team waived the undersized outside linebacker, a move that likely surprised no one."

Chan Gailey was pleased with the way his offense performed in rainy conditions during Monday's practice.

Miami Dolphins

Cornerback Sean Smith's new approach appears to be paying off.

The Dolphins hope Will Allen is able to make his preseason debut Friday night.

New England Patriots

Wes Welker says how he feels right now is the best he's felt in his career.

Are the Patriots looking to part ways with safety Brandon Meriweather?

New York Jets

Rich Cimini weighs in on the Jets' preseason opener.

Mark Sanchez and Rex Ryan laughed off the quarterback's "GQ" comments.

Buffalo Bills

If the Bills want to, they are in position to be players in free agency once the market opens.

Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly was at the Lehigh Country Club on Monday, throwing his support behind the second annual Andre Reed Celebrity Classic.

Miami Dolphins

Will Allen puts on his analyst hat and breaks down the Dolphins' cornerbacks.

Continuing its countdown of the top 10 moments in Sun Life Stadium history, MiamiDolphins.com cites Dan Marino breaking the team touchdown mark as the No. 5 moment.

New England Patriots

ESPNBoston.com's Mike Reiss takes an in-depth look at the Patriots' depth chart at offensive tackle.

Tony Massarotti of The Boston Globe: "... the Patriots are now far closer to the end than the beginning of the [Tom] Brady-[Bill] Belichick era, and replacing one -- let alone both -- is a daunting proposition. Translation: the clock is ticking more loudly than ever."

New York Jets

Rich Cimini examines the impact the reported elimination of two-a-days during training camp will have on the Jets. Cimini: "For obvious reasons, the Jets haven't released their training-camp schedule, but you have to figure the two-a-day ban will cost them about 13 practices -- including several special-teams practices. Special teams honcho Mike Westhoff isn't going to be happy about that; he could lose valuable teaching time."

New York Jets left tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson thought he had 750,000 reasons to show up to the team facility Tuesday.

In reality, he had none.

Ferguson, who will earn a $750,000 workout bonus for attending 85 percent of the Jets' offseason workouts, popped up in Florham Park, N.J., because the NFL lockout was lifted Monday. Ferguson found no workouts to be had. He told ESPNNewYork.com's Rich Cimini he should be credited for his effort when it came time to calculate the bonus.

Ferguson was one of several players around the league who showed up at team facilities. Jets receiver Jerricho Cotchery, guard Brandon Moore, defensive lineman Mike DeVito and linebackers Bart Scott and David Harris also appeared. Buffalo Bills cornerback Leodis McKelvin dropped by One Bills Drive to find there was no reason to be there. Miami Dolphins cornerback Will Allen did the same in Davie, Fla.

Those players who showed up Tuesday came off looking naive or like they're seeking attention with a publicity stunt.

Prudent agents and NFL Players Association team representatives have advised their clients and teammates to stay away from facilities because there's no legitimate point.

Workout clauses are predicated on a percentage of sessions the team has scheduled. Conditioning programs haven't commenced. Therefore, players can't get credit for a workout attended or marked down for a workout missed.

"Just because we have a decision rendered in our favor, my mindset hasn't changed," Bills player rep George Wilson told Buffalo News reporter Mark Gaughan. "I'm still set on working out on my own. We knew that whoever didn't get the ruling in their favor was going to file an appeal. At the end of the day this is what I expected, and what we told all our guys."

New England Patriots rep Matt Light held a charity breakfast Tuesday morning and was in no rush to report to Gillette Stadium. Light advised his teammates to relax for now.

"What I've been telling the guys is 'Give it a little time,' " Light said. "Guys are wondering, 'Do I need to get on a plane today? How do I proceed?' I can't give them answers to all those things, but hopefully later on tonight I will have more of them."

Patriots nose tackle Vince Wilfork added: "I won't head to Foxborough until everything is over with. I don't think that is the right way [to do things] in this situation."

Sports labor squabbles often are described as billionaires arguing with millionaires over money.

While that's a catchy rhyme that sums up fan frustration, the phrase is not entirely true.

Inspired by a blog entry from the minister of all things AFC South, Paul Kuharsky, I looked at NFL Players Association files to count up the number of AFC East players scheduled for $1 million base salaries in 2011.

Granted, up-front bonuses and incentives can make base salaries misleading. But base salaries are the only figures that create a common ground, player for player.

You'll see a vast majority of NFL players make much less than $1 million a year. Although many will make seven figures before they walk away from the game, careers are short and treacherous. They'll never see that kind of cash again for the rest of their lives.

That's why they're fighting for every dollar now.

Of the 226 players under contract in the AFC East, only 62 of them (27.4 percent) will make base salaries of $1 million or more.

The NFLPA hasn't acknowledged any franchise tags that have been signed. Those players are marked with an asterisk and not factored into the totals.

Buffalo Bills

• Receiver Lee Evans, $3.275 million
• Cornerback Terrence McGee, $3.2 million
• Quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, $3.195 million
• Defensive end Spencer Johnson, $3 million
• Outside linebacker Shawne Merriman, $2.75 million
• Defensive end Dwan Edwards, $2.6 million
• Center Geoff Hangartner, $2.55 million
• Outside linebacker Chris Kelsay, $2 million
• Running back Fred Jackson, $1.75 million
• Defensive lineman Kyle Williams, $1.75 million
• Kicker Rian Lindell, $1.45 million
• Punter Brian Moorman, $1.425 million
• Cornerback Reggie Corner, $1.2 million
• Receiver Steve Johnson, $1.2 million
• Safety Bryan Scott, $1.15 million
• Linebacker Andra Davis, $1.1 million
• Receiver Roscoe Parrish, $1.025 million
• Safety George Wilson, $1.025 million
• Cornerback Leodis McKelvin, $1 million

Base salaries of $1 million or more: 19

Players under contract: 54

Percentage of roster making $1 million or more: 35.2

Miami Dolphins

• Nose tackle Paul Soliai, $12.47 million*
• Tackle Jake Long, $11.2 million
• Receiver Brandon Marshall, $6.5 million
• Tackle Vernon Carey, $4.15 million
• Safety Yeremiah Bell, $3.7 million
• Defensive end Randy Starks, $3.625 million
• Inside linebacker Karlos Dansby, $2.7 million
• Inside linebacker Channing Crowder, $2.5 million
• Tight end Anthony Fasano, $1.9 million
• Cornerback Benny Sapp, $1.9 million
• Inside linebacker Tim Dobbins, $1.7 million
• Cornerback Will Allen, $1.5 million
• Safety Tyrone Culver, $1.25 million
• Fullback Lousaka Polite, $1.25 million
• Receiver Davone Bess, $1.013 million
• Kicker Dan Carpenter, $1.005 million

Base salaries of $1 million or more: 15

Players under contract: 55

Percentage of roster making $1 million or more: 27.3

New England Patriots

• Quarterback Tom Brady, $5.75 million
• Cornerback Leigh Bodden, $3.9 million
• Tackle Nick Kaczur, $3.4 million
• Defensive end Ty Warren, $3.1 million
• Center Dan Koppen, $2.9 million
• Safety James Sanders, $2.8 million
• Tight end Alge Crumpler, $2.4 million
• Outside linebacker Tully Banta-Cain, $2.3 million
• Receiver Deion Branch, $2.2 million
• Receiver Wes Welker, $2.15 million
• Kicker Stephen Gostkowski, $1.7 million
• Cornerback Jonathan Wilhite, $1.2 million
• Offensive lineman Dan Connolly, $1.025 million
• Inside linebacker Gary Guyton, $1 million

Base salaries of $1 million or more: 14

Players under contract: 60

Percentage of roster making $1 million or more: 23.3

New York Jets

• Quarterback Mark Sanchez, $14.75 million
• Inside linebacker David Harris, $10.1 million*
• Cornerback Darrelle Revis, $6 million
• Tackle D'Brickashaw Ferguson, $5.615 million
• Inside linebacker Bart Scott, $4.9 million
• Outside linebacker Calvin Pace, $3.855 million
• Outside linebacker Bryan Thomas, $3.2 million
• Guard Brandon Moore, $2.75 million
• Running back LaDainian Tomlinson, $2.425 million
• Center Nick Mangold, $2.26 million
• Defensive end Mike DeVito, $2.125 million
• Safety Jim Leonhard, $1.95 million
• Receiver Jerricho Cotchery, $1.8 million
• Defensive tackle Sione Pouha, $1.28 million
• Quarterback Mark Brunell, $1.25 million

Base salaries of $1 million or more: 14

Players under contract: 57

Percentage of roster making $1 million or more: 24.6

PITTSBURGH -- Here are the inactives for Sunday night's AFC Championship Game between the New York Jets and Pittsburgh Steelers at Heinz Field:

New York Jets

• Quarterback Kellen Clemens
• Fullback John Conner
• Receiver Patrick Turner
• Tight end Matthew Mulligan
• Tight end Jeff Cumberland
• Defensive tackle Jarron Gilbert
• Defensive tackle Marcus Dixon
• Defensive end Vernon Gholston

Pittsburgh Steelers

• Quarterback Charlie Batch
• Running back Jonathan Dwyer
• Tackle Chris Scott
• Tackle Tony Hills
• Defensive tackle Steve McLendon
• Defensive end Aaron Smith
• Cornerback Crezdon Butler
• Safety Will Allen

FLORHAM PARK, N.J. -- New York Jets fans shouldn't be concerned with all the names on the AFC Championship Game injury report. Jets head coach Rex Ryan announced Friday everybody will play Sunday night against the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Steelers list four names on their report. The two biggest are safety Troy Polamalu (probable, Achilles) and defensive end Aaron Smith (doubtful, triceps). Polamalu missed practice Wednesday and Thursday, but participated fully Friday.

Cornerback Bryant McFadden (abdomen) and safety Will Allen (knee) are questionable.

For the Jets, receiver Brad Smith (groin), defensive end Shaun Ellis (knee), cornerback Drew Coleman (knee) and safety James Ihedigbo (knee, ankle) are questionable.

"They're questionable. They're playing. OK," Ryan said after rattling off the injury report at the start of Friday's news conference. "That's pretty much it."

Listed as probable are quarterback Mark Sanchez (shoulder), receiver Santonio Holmes (quadriceps), center Nick Mangold (shoulder), defensive tackle Mike DeVito (neck), defensive tackle Sione Pouha (back), outside linebacker Jason Taylor (concussion), cornerback Darrelle Revis (hamstring) and cornerback Antonio Cromartie (groin).

Back in my days covering the National Hockey League, "man games lost" were insightful stats we used frequently. The figures helped illustrate how injuries were impacting a team's season.

Man games lost aren't avidly tracked in the NFL. Rosters are more volatile than in the NHL, where fully guaranteed contracts generally cement a roster coming out of training camp.

NFL teams cut and sign players more frequently. Injured players can dress because there's one game a week, and they can be used situationally. In the NHL, you have to play offense and defense. There are no third-down specialists you can safely insert for a shift or two.

Football Outsiders managing editor Bill Barnwell has compiled a worthwhile chart for the NFL.

Better than man games lost, it's starter games lost.

The Indianapolis Colts led the NFL with 89. The Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs were tied for fewest at 11.

In the AFC East, the Miami Dolphins had the most with 62, ranking seventh in the league. They were banged-up all along the offensive and defensive lines. Receiver Brian Hartline, cornerback Will Allen and rookie defensive end Jared Odrick went to injured reserve among a few others.

The New England Patriots were tied for 10th with 54 starter games lost. Tom Brady played through a foot fracture, but they most notably lost cornerback Leigh Bodden and offensive linemen Stephen Neal and Nick Kaczur.

The Buffalo Bills were tied for 21st with 42 starter games lost. That's a great development after what happened to them in 2009, when they finished with 21 players on injured reserve, including left tackle Demetrius Bell, right tackle Brad Butler, inside linebacker Kawika Mitchell, starting cornerbacks Leodis McKelvin and Terrence McGee and Pro Bowl safety Jairus Byrd.

The New York Jets lost starters 38 times, ranking 23rd in the league. Their biggest losses were nose tackle Kris Jenkins, safety Jim Leonhard and right tackle Damien Woody.

What do these numbers say, especially when four of the top five most injury-riddled teams (Colts, Green Bay Packers, Seattle Seahawks, Philadelphia Eagles) made the playoffs?

It means that depth (or playing in the NFC West) is imperative to surviving.

Barnwell offered to break down the chart by upper-body and lower-body injuries, but I haven't gotten that file yet.

A lot of paperwork was flying around AFC East front offices Sunday.

Teams fiddled with their rosters by rummaging through a free-agent pile enlarged by Saturday's cuts.

The Buffalo Bills made a big signing at tight end, bringing in veteran David Martin for immediate help at a position of need and claimed guard Kraig Urbik off waivers from the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The Miami Dolphins surprisingly cut Martin, leaving them with only Anthony Fasano and John Nalbone. Joey Haynos is out with a foot injury.

The Bills were hit hard by tight end injuries this summer, and Shawn Nelson was suspended for the first four games for violating the NFL's substance-abuse policy.

Buffalo cut tight end J.P. Foschi and cornerback Dominique Harris to make space for their new players.

The Dolphins placed cornerback Will Allen on injured reserve and picked up four players off waivers: offensive linemen Jeremy Parnell (New Orleans Saints) and Joe Reitz (Baltimore Ravens) and defensive ends Clifton Geathers (Cleveland Browns) and Robert Rose (Seattle Seahawks).

To clear room, the Dolphins cut offensive lineman Cory Procter and defensive end Charles Grant and Marques Douglas.

Also on Sunday, the New England Patriots officially announced a pair of trades: safety Jarrad Page from the Kansas City Chiefs and linebacker Tracy White from the Philadelphia Eagles for undisclosed draft picks.

New England claimed guard Stave Maneri off waivers from the Houston Texans and released linebacker Tyrone McKenzie.

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.

DAVIE, Fla. -- Miami Dolphins cornerback Sean Smith knows all about trial by fire.

From opening day of his rookie season, he started on the right side and over the course of 16 games got charred a few times.

"I'm not going to lie. It was tough," said Smith, stopping for a few moments outside the Dolphins locker room after Tuesday's practice. "First, it was good. Then there was a point in time when things weren't going my way. I was getting beat on plays. Coming in, you never want to get beat, but when you're putting touchdowns on the board, you just have to fight back.

"I was proud of how well I fought back throughout the season."

The Dolphins' cornerbacks played like the rookies they were last year. Smith was joined in the starting lineup by Vontae Davis in Week 8 because left cornerback Will Allen went down with a season-ending knee injury.

Not making their welcome to the NFL any warmer, Smith and Davis faced a seemingly relentless procession of star quarterbacks: Tom Brady twice, Matt Ryan, Peyton Manning, Philip Rivers, Drew Brees, Vince Young, Matt Schaub and Ben Roethlisberger.

And those guys have some pretty decent receivers to throw to.

"Words can't even explain it," Smith said. "It's like you're letting your family down.

"When a cornerback gets beat, it's six [points]. When you're out there, you're fighting hard, but when things don't go your way and you head back to that sideline, everybody knows your guys scored. The fans are looking at you and screaming."

The Dolphins are excited about their young corners. They drafted Davis 25th overall and Smith 61st.

"We're clicking," Smith said. "Me and him are looking to do big things this year."

But they certainly experienced growing pains in 2009.

Stats Inc. tracks a statistic called "burn percentage," the number of receptions a defender allows divided by the number of times he's targeted. Smith and Davis ranked among the worst 11 regular cornerbacks in the league.

Davis started nine games yet gave up 46 catches for 902 yards (third worst in the league) and nine touchdowns (one fewer than the most allowed).

Smith was the lone cornerback to surrender a higher average at 20.8 yards a catch. He allowed 35 receptions for 729 yards and four touchdowns.

Smith had zero interceptions, while Davis snagged a team-high four.

"You definitely don't want to forget because the only way to learn is through mistakes," said Smith, who at 6-foot-3 might be the league's tallest cornerback. "It was difficult times when you're frustrated and things don't go your way or as you hoped. All you can do is learn from it and bring it into this year."

Dolphins coach Tony Sparano has been generally pleased with Smith's development, but isn't throwing any bouquets his way.

Sparano emphasized Smith needs to keep working on the fundamentals, specifically his press technique. Having the chance to work against star receiver Brandon Marshall will help considerably.

"He's getting better and better at it," Sparano said. "It's a process that he's got to continue to work at right now, but I think he's done a nice job."