Are the Miami Dolphins legitimate AFC East contenders?

This offseason, the Miami Dolphins have been given a lot of attention for being one of the most aggressive teams in both free agency and the NFL Draft. Despite the loss of some veteran players such as Jake Long, the additions of potential difference makers on both sides of the ball have led some to believe that the Dolphins may be set for a break out year.

In the NFL, a quarterback-driven league, a large amount of a team’s success depends on the play of their quarterback. Ryan Tannehill, the Dolphins’ 2012 first-round draft pick, came in and played fairly well at quarterback last season; he threw for 3,294 yards, twelve touchdowns and thirteen interceptions. Tannehill seemed to improve every week and led the Dolphins to a 7-9 record, which was an improvement on the team’s 6-10 record in 2011. Tannehill was no RG3, Andrew Luck, or Russell Wilson, but he was solid.

This offseason, the Dolphins’ front-office added offensive weapons Mike Wallace and Brandon Gibson to their receiving corps in order to aid Tannehill’s development, as well as re-signing of Brian Hartline. Wallace is one of the best downfield threats in the NFL today and is a true speedster. His ability to take the top off a defence should enable the Dolphins’ run-game to flourish, whilst giving Tannehill a legitimate number one receiver. The addition of Brandon Gibson gives Tannehill another reliable receiver, despite the fact that he’s not a “big name”, unlike Wallace. Gibson had his best season for the St. Louis Rams in 2012, with 691 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Moreover, Miami also retained the services of Brian Hartline, their best receiver in 2012, who recorded a team-high 1,083 receiving yards. Clearly, their receiving corps is in good shape, thanks to some good offseason work by the Dolphins’ front office. With the help of these receivers, Tannehill’s play should continue to improve, which could result in the Dolphins being an aerial force in the AFC East.

Calvin Johnson's Broken Finger Revelation Only Makes 2012 Season Look More Impressive

Stop the presses! For another year, the Detroit Lions are finding a small bit of offseason heat, but this time, it isn't exactly the team's fault at all.

Monday, Calvin Johnson revealed he played with three broken fingers in 2012, to most only enhancing the fact that he set a single season record for receiving yardage. Naturally, one member of the media couldn't help himself with some criticism, though, and quickly rained on Detroit's parade.

Mike Florio was irritated that the Lions didn't fully reveal Johnson's "true" injuries during the season, going through week to week injury reports to note that Detroit listed their wide receiver twice on the injury list with a thumb issue, but never said anything about other broken or injured fingers.

Bruce Arians Likes What He Sees in Carson Palmer

The chemistry between a head coach and quarterback is very important in the NFL. As we all know, the Arizona Cardinals have a new head coach in Bruce Arians and a new starting quarterback in veteran Carson Palmer.

Now that the first week of OTAs have been completed, things seem to be going quite well so far as Palmer digests Arians' offense and Arians watches Palmer gets used to his new teammates.

The Red Birds welcome the change at quarterback after a disastrous season at the position a year ago. It was a regular merry-go-round at QB in 2012 and it's nice to see the steady hand of Palmer guiding his offensive mates through their drills.

Losing In A Steroid Culture

Another day out of the year, another performance-enhancing drug test failure by an athlete.  These incidents are more and more common, and only create ripples when a star player is implicated.  The four-game suspension handed out to Seattle Seahawks defensive end Bruce Irvin for Adderall hardly registered outside the Pacific Northwest.

However, it is a disturbing trend for the Seahawks.  Irvin is now the fifth Seahawk suspended for drug use since 2011, and cornerback Richard Sherman narrowly avoided being the sixth.  Irvin, along with Allen Barbre, Brandon Browner, John Moffitt and Winston Guy, have created suspicion among fans on just how clean their team is.

Only the naive would believe that the Seahawks have the only group of players that boost their performance chemically.  Football is a brutal sport and recovering quickly from injury is the difference between the playoffs and watching them from home, and the difference between a multi-million dollar contract, and a veteran's minimum.  When the stakes are this high, players make use out of every advantage they can find.

Irvin tested positive for Adderall, the latest trend among athletes.  It is a psychostimulant and increases awareness and focus.  Prolonged use also causes psychological damage, which is the reason it is a restricted drug in the United States (available only through a prescription).  Analysts speculate that athletes take it alongside a steroid regimen so that if they fail a drug test, they can claim they failed Adderall (which would technically be true) and not have the stigma of a muscle enhancer.

Tom Brady on his path to get better

Can New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady become even better?

He certainly thinks he can be.

Brady spoke with Sports Illustrated and explained that even in the wake of the passing of his mentor Tom
Martinez, he continues to find ways to elevate his game.

“I owe so much to Tom Martinez,” Brady said. “He taught me so much about how to play the game and throw the football. He was so committed to me for so many years. I miss him every time I step on the field. I found Tom House, and really developed a rapport with him quickly. I’ve learned, and to me, the learning process is fun. The same way Tom Martinez was always there to watch and give me corrections, Tom House has told me why certain corrections need to be made. Look at a baseball swing and a golf swing. It’s all mechanics. Look at how Barry Bonds swings. Look at how Floyd Mayweather punches. Mechanics. When you’ve got to fit it into the tightest windows, mechanics are crucial. And to me, the offseason is crucial. If you make a throw within four feet, that’s not going to be good enough. You have to make the throw within four inches of your target. That’s good enough. And that’s why the mechanics you adjust and learn in the offseason are important. You’re going to keep them during the season.

Tom Brady stated that his latest instructor Tom House is pushing him hard.