Nowhere to go but up for Dolphins

With no star players to promote, the trio is pictured on highway billboards in South Florida advertising the upcoming season as "A New Beginning."

"We must not have a lot of talent if we have the GM and the head coach on a billboard," Crowder said with a laugh. "Nah, the whole 'New Beginning' thing is a good slogan, I think. Coming from 1-15, you have to start somewhere. You have to end something to start something."

Sparano is Miami's fifth head coach since 2004, and he has won praise from players for his straightforward approach. He inherits a team that made a ton of mistakes last year, and hopes to reduce them by encouraging players to take responsibility.

"No excuses," Sparano said. "We need to make the right decision. You have to run the right route. We have to block the right guy. No excuses, OK? You make the mistake, take ownership of the mistake. That's the way it is."

There are promising signs the new regime is getting a handle on the line deficiencies that have been at the heart of Miami's offensive woes in recent years. The Dolphins took Michigan's Jake Long with the No. 1 pick in the April draft, and he'll line up at left tackle in the season opener Sept. 7.

The Dolphins signed veteran quarterback Chad Pennington on Aug. 8 after he was cut by the New York Jets when they acquired Brett Favre.

The running game could actually be a strength. Ronnie Brown totaled 991 yards rushing and receiving in only seven games last year, and his backup is Ricky Williams, the mercurial 2002 NFL rushing champion.

Brown has not fully recovered from knee surgery last November, and Williams has played in only 13 games since 2003, but they could provide a formidable one-two punch.

"It will be a challenge to get out there and compete," Williams said. "When the dust settles, hopefully people will be pleasantly surprised."

Given the recent sorry state of the franchise, five or six wins might be enough to pleasantly surprise Dolphins fans.