In a move that seemed to be a formality from the start, Dallas offensive line/assistant head coach was introduced as Miami’s next head coach on Wednesday, replacing Cam Cameron, who was fired after a 1-15 season, his only one on the job.

From the moment that moved into the Dolphins’ front office, Sparano was the top name linked with the head coaching job, even before Cameron was fired. Sparano was one of the Tuna’s right hand men when he was the head coach in Big D, and with it all too obvious that, if Parcells is going to turn things around in Miami, he’s going to do it with his guys, it would have been a near-shocker had he gone in another direction.

Sparano has been a head coach once before, at Division II New Haven (his alma mater) from 1994-98, and he had a 41-14-1 record in those five seasons, and led the school to the 1997 D-II title game.

Miami is certainly a few steps up from New Haven, but Sparano has earned his stripes as a quality assistant coach both in college and in the , and judging by the interest that he fielded, not only from the Dolphins but from the Falcons and the Ravens, it’s safe to say that he got the job on his merits, not because he’s chummy with Parcells.

But, it’s been easy to see from the moment Parcells took over, that if he was going to try to get things turned around, that he’s going to do it his way, and with his kind of guys, which meant out the door for Cameron and Randy Mueller, and in for Sparano and new GM , both guys Parcells knows and trusts.

Now that he’s picked out his home for the near future, it’s time to see what he’s got to work with.

On offense, Miami has two inexperienced QBs in Cleo Lemon, after the Daunte Culpepper experiment lasted only one season (meanwhile, Drew Brees has no regrets), and because Trent Green needs to hang it up for the sake of his health and well-being. And while Ronnie Brown looks set as the starter in the backfield, he’s coming off of a torn ACL.

The Dolphins were decimated by injuries on defense, though their biggest problem right now is age, especially on the defensive line, where Vonnie Holliday (32) and Keith Traylor (38) started this season.

The two cogs of their defense for many years, Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas, are getting up in years, and Thomas might actually be done – or, as with Green, needs to be.

With the #1 pick in the draft, they can address one of their serious needs, and with LSU DT Glenn Dorsey the consensus top defensive prospect, and fitting in at one of their need positions, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to hold on to that #1 pick, especially because they could go for a middle linebacker and a corner or receiver with their two second-round picks.

Trading it away is an option, but who would they trade it to, and for what? They could trade down for picks for this year and next year, and address their needs that way, along with hitting the free agent market for some upgrades as well. That might be the best chance for them to trade the pick, because there aren’t likely going to be too many teams willing to give up a big piece of their team for the #1 pick.

Sparano may not be the next Don Shula, but Dolphins fans must be hoping that he’ll at least turn out better than Cameron or Nick Saban, and at worst, have Dave Wannstedt‘s success rate prior to that disaster that was the 2004 season (41-23 regular season mark in his first four seasons from 2000-03, two playoff appearances, one division title).

Miami has suffered from a lack of personnel, luck, and good decisions over the last few seasons, but the Tuna doesn‘t stand for losing, so if the Dolphins don‘t, it won‘t be for a lack of trying. The pieces are being assembled off of the field, and now it’s time to see if the new additions can make it happen on the field.

There’s no way this one can get screwed up, right? Let’s get the wood and start a-knocking.

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