Professor

http://www.miamiherald.com/1190/story/368042.html

Bill Parcells said he didn't interview any coaches Friday, and my hope is, he used that free time to study this season's Dolphins roster and convince himself he needs to replace a majority of the players.

Let's face it, the Dolphins were a bad football team in 2007 for a myriad of reasons. But in firing the coach and general manager, Parcells and new GM Jeff Ireland took only the first and easiest steps toward righting a floundering ship.

The next step, the hard step that will determine whether the Dolphins are rescued from the bottom of the NFL standings next season, is improving the product on the field.

THE BIGGER PROBLEM

Simply, the Dolphins need better players much more than they needed better coaches.

Look to the locker room, Bill, if you want to understand why the Dolphins were 1-15. That is where most of the problems have been happening the past six seasons that ended without a playoff spot. It's the players.

More than the salary cap, more than the coaching staffs, more than the goofy helmet insignia and uniform that intimidate no one, it has been the players who have failed this franchise most consistently.

It doesn't take a million-dollar salary and long title to figure that out. Many of Miami's players have lately gotten too slow, too small, too injured, too flabby, or too disinterested, to make a difference.

Did they usually try hard on Sundays? Sure.

But all of their effort was nothing more than activity that didn't lead to accomplishment.

All their effort was only good enough to get them beat six times in the six games decided by three points this season.

''I know they had some injuries,'' Ireland said this week, sharing his view of the Dolphins from afar. ``I know that they were struggling on both sides of the ball. [The Cowboys] played them, and they were very competitive. I would say that's one thing that is going to be good around here, they're all competitive kids.

``Luck has a lot to do with it. The ball bounces a different way, but just looking at it from afar, we've just got to put the right person in place.''

Not person, Jeff. People.

Look at the Dolphins' starting lineup the final week of the season. No more than three players on offense -- Ted Ginn Jr., Vernon Carey and Samson Satele -- should be considered starting-caliber players, and that is probably being kind to rookies Ginn and Satele, who were still sorting out their games at the end of the season.

The rest of that offense that averaged a paltry 16.6 points and ranked 28th in the NFL was nothing more than a huddle of backup players.

Don't believe it? Quick, pick one of the following names who would start for today's Cowboys or Patriots: Marty Booker, Chris Liwienski, Rex Hadnot, L.J. Shelton, Jesse Chatman and Cleo Lemon.

Most of those guys prepared hard and played hard. But they didn't produce at a level that comes anywhere close to outstanding.

On defense, only Jason Taylor, Vonnie Holliday, Joey Porter and Will Allen rose above mediocre. And although those four are keepers, none was consistent throughout all 16 games.

The rest of the starting defense? Let's just say they were the reasons the Dolphins' defense was last or nearly last in yards per play, rushing yards per game, rushing yards per attempt, passing net yards per play, third-down efficiency and the all-important points allowed.

A LOT OF INJURIES

The truth is, the Dolphins had almost as many starting-caliber players on injured reserve as on the field. Zach Thomas, Ricky Williams, Yeremiah Bell, Channing Crowder and Ronnie Brown missed part or most of the season because of injuries.

But even that rash of injuries suggested troubling things about Miami's talent.

Brown, young and on the verge of stardom, still hasn't played a full 16-game schedule in his three seasons. Thomas will be 35 in 2008. Williams is nothing if not undependable. Crowder has had knee issues since college. And Bell, the secondary's most explosive playmaker before his injury, isn't assured of being ready for the start of training camp.

Before he was fired, Cameron talked of having ''80 percent'' of the roster signed through 2008.

That would have been good news if 80 percent of the roster was worth keeping. It is not.

The Dolphins, frankly, need to find anywhere between seven and 13 starting-caliber players this offseason to be anywhere between competitive and good next season.

And so while everyone focuses on the coaching search, while Parcells and Ireland are trying to identify the man who will lead the players next year, the hope here is everyone realizes the most important part of the rebuilding job is yet to come.

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