Dolphins hire Cam Cameron

Welcome to the Cam era! The Dolphins named Cam Cameron their new head coach. Cameron was previously the offensive coordinator of the San Diego Chargers, who only became available for interviews because the top-seeded Chargers were upset by the Patriots in the playoffs last weekend.

I don't know much about Cameron, but given how many people the team interviewed, there must have been something special about him to set him apart. I do know that his specialty is the offense, which is where the Dolphins need help. If he can turn Ronnie Brown into the next LT, the Dolphins will be a team to be reckoned with.

Jason Taylor named Defensive Player of Year

The Associated Press named Dolphins DE Jason Taylor the NFL Defensive Player of the Year. Taylor had 62 tackles, 13 1/2 sacks, 10 forced fumbles, 2 fumbles recovered, and 2 interceptions. He returned both of his interceptions for touchdowns.

In an otherwise disappointing season, Taylor's accomplishments were deservedly rewarded. Said Patriots coach Bill Belichick, "There's nobody I've seen that has played anywhere near close to the level that he's at. He ruins a lot of games offensively for teams." Belichick should know. Taylor led the Dolphins defense that shut out the Patriots this season.

Taylor is the first Dolphin to win the award since Doug Betters in 1983.

Nick Saban leaves for Alabama

Head coach Nick Saban has left the Miami Dolphins to accept the same title at the University of Alabama. The decision comes two weeks after Saban denied interest in the Alabama job.

Saban leaves the Dolphins with a 15-17 record, not exactly what owner Wayne Huizenga imagined when signing him two years ago, I'm sure.

After my initial surprise at hearing the news, I'm starting to think it wasn't a bad move in the long run. What did Nick Saban contribute to the Dolphins during his tenure anyway? The team isn't any better now than when he first joined. He's proven that he is a poor judge of talent from his two drafts and the decision to pick up Daunte Culpepper over Drew Brees last offseason. He hasn't shown that he can outcoach the majority of his counterparts in the NFL.

In the end, Saban must've decided the NFL was more than he could handle and wanted to go back to college.

What happens to the Dolphins now depends on who replaces Saban. The Dolphins could end up stinking for the rest of the decade or begin the revival that Dolfans hoped for when Saban joined two years ago.

Dolphins end season with loss

Mercifully, the 2006 season has ended for the underachieving Dolphins. The Dolphins lost their final game of the season, 27-22, to the Indianapolis Colts.

Cleo Lemon was given the nod at quarterback for Miami. He went 18 of 36 for 210 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. Ronnie Brown led the rushing game with 115 yards on 21 carries. The effort gave him 1,008 yards for the season, a decent performance given that he missed three games due to injury.