"I'd like to think they're headed in the right direction," Don Shula says with hopefulness and apprehension. "I know a lot of fans are hoping the same thing. Because let's face it, the fans haven't had a lot to cheer about the last several years."
Shula, a team vice chairman and chief ambassador, helped the Dolphins draw many cheers during his tenure from 1970 to 1995, when the team won 65% of its games and two Super Bowls.
But these days? Consider some lyrics from Only Wanna Be With You by Hootie and the Blowfish and sung by longtime Miami fan Darius Rucker: "I'm such a baby, 'cause the Dolphins make me cry."
"The thing I want to get back to is having pride in being a Dolphins fan," Shula says. "For our fans, I want them to be proud of being Dolphins fans.
"I think that's going to be Cam's biggest challenge, is to get that pride back."
TABLE: Additions, subtractions in Miami
Shula's referring to Cam Cameron, lured from his post as the San Diego Chargers offensive coordinator to replace Nick Saban, who, after two up-and-down seasons, decided he'd rather coach at the University of Alabama.
Cameron's task is simple but daunting: return Miami to the playoffs and beyond. Not since the 2001 season have the Dolphins graced the postseason menu.
Say all you want about the great Dan Marino, but he did not lead the team to a Super Bowl win.
Cue another song, Mrs. Robinson, with lyrics slightly altered from the ones penned by Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel.
"Where have you gone, Bob Griese? A South Beach nation turns its lonely eyes to you."
The fact is, one of the league's more notable outposts has failed to consistently get it done since the days of Csonka, Buoniconti, Warfield and, yes, Griese.
That was the 1970s, mind you.
Since then, consider:
•Jimmy Johnson coached here. Didn't get it done.
•Marino parlayed his stay into a Hall of Fame career, absent only a Super Bowl ring.
•Ricky Williams? He was here, then he wasn't, then he was, then he wasn't and now his future with the team apparently has evaporated like a puff of smoke.
•Daunte Culpepper? The three-time Pro Bowl quarterback arrived before last season with great fanfare but was grounded by physical ailments that hinder him still.
•Trent Green? Stay tuned. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback wants to be traded, and he has made no secret he wants his destination to be Miami.
"There is no deal at the moment," Green's agent, Jim Steiner said in late May, "but our expectation is that there will be."
Green took part in the Chiefs minicamp knowing there's little, if any, chance of him playing a seventh season in Kansas City. And most of his recent comments were not about the Chiefs but about the Dolphins and his affection for Cameron, whom he worked with as a Washington Redskin.
He also commented about "the awkwardness of this."
So the Dolphins again are mired in a quarterback mystery, one that has more or less continued since Marino retired.
Cameron deflects questions about Green and Culpepper to talk about …Cleo Lemon, the fourth-year pro from Arkansas State taking most of the offseason snaps.
"The story of the day," Cameron says after a minicamp practice, "was the play of Cleo Lemon."
Happy, happy, joy, joy.
And Green? Who really, really wants to play for you?
"You don't know," Cameron says. "Is every guy (New Orleans Saints quarterback) Drew Brees? I don't know."
Then there's John Beck, 25, a second-round draft pick out of Brigham Young and Miami's highest-drafted signal-caller since, you guessed it, Marino in 1983.
Despite Beck's presence as the possible quarterback of the near future, many fans voiced their displeasure to Cameron on draft day when Miami bypassed more heralded Notre Dame quarterback Brady Quinn with the ninth pick, opting instead for Ohio State wideout/kick returner Ted Ginn Jr., who's healing from a foot injury suffered in the BCS title game.
On other fronts, the Dolphins have hope for reasonable optimism. Defenders Jason Taylor and Zach Thomas continue to get it done. And most Dolphins fans probably are satisfied by up-and-coming Ronnie Brown at running back.
The way the old coach sees things, everything goes back to who will be taking the snaps.
"With Jason and Zach, you have a foundation on the defense, and it's good for the fans to be able to continue to see that," Shula says. "What we've got to wait and see is how the quarterback situation ends up — that and the whole offense, really.
"With Cam coming in, I think that's going to be a huge lift, because offense, that's his strength and that's what the Dolphins need at this time. If they can juice up the offense and get them playing well, there's a chance we can turn this thing around. But right now I think a lot of this depends on who the quarterback's going to be."
Cameron understands and knows he soon will have to provide this team with his stamp, no matter what players he has or doesn't have.
"Have you read the book Good to Great?" he asks. "I could list 100, maybe 200 other books that I have read, from books 2,000 years ago to books that were written in the 1800s, and the common theme is getting the right people. If you read that book, it's about getting the right people on the bus."
The bus is leaving soon.
AROUND THE FIELD IN MIAMI
Quarterback: Who knows? It's probably the most important aspect of the Dolphins' plan for a resurgence, but the situation remains cloudy. There's Daunte Culpepper, whose physical limitations were on display for all to see last season. There's Trent Green. Either way, we're talking about two productive players who also happen to be in their 30s. Cleo Lemon, anyone? John Beck?
Running back: Ronnie Brown is back, and his promise as an elite runner remains solid. Gone are Travis Minor and Sammy Morris. Fullback Cory Schlesinger arrives from the Detroit Lions, and Brown should enjoy the new holes he'll open. Ricky Williams probably will be forced to take his lifestyle elsewhere, leaving a fleeting sense of what-might-have-been for Dol-fans. Cheer up. The speed of rookie Lorenzo Booker has coaches smiling.
Wide receiver: This is one of the team's more stable positions, with Chris Chambers, Marty Booker and the arrival of draft pick Ted Ginn Jr. Keep an eye on Az-Zahir Hakim. Derek Hagan has potential.
Tight end: Veteran Randy McMichael was cut, but former Green Bay Packer David Martin appears ready to contribute. Considering Cam Cameron made Antonio Gates a star with the San Diego Chargers, Martin might have landed in the right place.
Offensive line: Change is the name of the game. Vernon Carey goes from right tackle to the left side. L.J. Shelton will likely man the right flank. Incumbent center Rex Hadnot could shift to guard, and second-round draft pick Samson Satele could wind up as the starting center … or at one of the guard spots. Overall prognosis for the unit is positive, but development could take time.
Defensive line: It's one of the areas Miami isn't especially sweating about. Jason Taylor, who doubles as a rush end and outside linebacker, is back, and so are Vonnie Holliday and Keith Traylor.
Linebacker: Say it loudly and say it proudly: Zach! Ladies and gentlemen, we give you Zach Thomas, who enters his 12th season in the league and with the Dolphins. Fan favorite. Good guy. Aging but still apparently sufficiently agile. Add Joey Porter to the mix. Donnie Spragan is expected to progress, and don't forget about Channing Crowder.
Secondary: The talent and depth appear good. Free safety Renaldo Hill has become someone the coaches depend on, as has strong safety Yeremiah Bell. Cornerbacks Travis Daniels and Will Allen are also on hand, and Jason Allen, a first-round disappointment last season, may wind up as Will's cornerback counterpart. Incumbent corner Andre Goodman may be a physical casualty if his shoulder doesn't heal.
Special teams: Gone is noted kicker Olindo Mare. The Dolphins used a seventh-round pick on punter Brandon Fields and signed kicker Jay Feely.
Coaching staff: Cameron is an offensive-minded coach who would seem to mesh well with what already appears to be a stout defense. Dom Capers has shown he knows what he's doing defensively.
Outlook: Much depends on the quarterback and whether Culpepper (if he's able to return from injury) or Green (if he comes to Miami) still have juice in their aging bodies.
The defense looks solid, and with Brown at running back and the capable receivers, things look relatively promising.
| Last season: 6-10, fourth place in the AFC East, missed playoffs | ||
 | ||
| Additions | Subtractions | Draft picks |
| ||
 K Jay Feely | G Bennie Anderson | Ted Ginn Jr., WR, Ohio State (9) |
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| WR Az-Zahir Hakim | FB Darian Barnes | John Beck, QB, BYU (40) |
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| OL Chris Liwienski | DE David Bowens | Samson Satele, C, Hawaii (60) |
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| TE David Martin | DE Kevin Carter | Lorenzo Booker, RB, Florida State (71) |
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| LB Joey Porter | QB Joey Harrington | Paul Soliai, DT, Utah (108) |
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| OT Mike Rosenthal | G Jeno James | Reagan Mauia, FB, Hawaii (181) |
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| FB Cory Schlesinger | P Donnie Jones | Drew Mormino, C, Central Michigan (199) |
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| S Cameron Worrell | K Olindo Mare | Kelvin Smith, LB, Syracuse (219) |
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| OT Damian McIntosh | Brandon Fields, P, Michigan State (225) | |
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| TE Randy McMichael | Abraham Wright, DE, Colorado (238) | |
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| RB Travis Minor | ||
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| RB Sammy Morris | ||
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| WR Wes Welker | (Overall selection in parentheses) | |
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