Randy Mueller's position as general manager seems safe for at least the time being and potentially longer depending on who is hired as head coach.

Mueller now has a bigger say in the hiring process after not being included in the initial round of interviews held away from team headquarters. Dolphins president Bryan Wiedmeier said Mueller was omitted because the team wanted to receive an honest assessment about personnel issues from coaching candidates without feeling pressured to have to appease Mueller, who butted heads with departed coach Nick Saban during the past two seasons.

Whether Mueller will have final say on personnel decisions likely will depend on who the Dolphins ultimately name as Saban's replacement.

UNIT-BY-UNIT ANALYSIS

QUARTERBACK
Starter -- Daunte Culpepper. Backups -- Joey Harrington, Cleo Lemon.

Culpepper's first Dolphins season was disastrous, as he only lasted for four games before being sidelined the rest of the year by lingering problems with his right knee. Miami's new head coach must decide in the offseason whether Culpepper can return to the form that made him one of the NFL's top quarterbacks in 2004. Lemon showed promise in seven quarters of action in the final three games, which could lead to the inconsistent Harrington being released or traded.

RUNNING BACKS
Starters -- RB Ronnie Brown, FB Darian Barnes. Backups -- RB Sammy Morris, RB Travis Minor, RB Patrick Cobbs.

Brown showed improvement from his rookie season while breaking the 1,000-yard mark for the first time in his career. Brown seemed to run with more confidence as the season progressed. Morris, who did a solid job as a starter when replacing Brown (hand) for three games, is a jack-of-all-trades back who also contributed on special teams. Morris and Cobbs were used almost exclusively on special teams. Barnes' playing time was limited because of Miami's extensive use of two-tight end sets.

TIGHT END
Starter -- Randy McMichael. Backups -- Justin Peelle, Tim Massaquoi.

Although he finished with solid numbers (62 catches for 640 yards and three touchdowns), McMichael's 2006 season will be remembered more for inconsistent play and dropped passes. McMichael appeared on the verge of becoming a Pro Bowl tight end after the 2004 season but now may never reach those heights. Peelle saw extensive action as a blocker because of offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey's preference for two-tight end sets.

WIDE RECEIVERS
Starters -- Chris Chambers, Marty Booker. Backups -- Wes Welker, Derek Hagan, Marcus Vick.

It speaks volumes that a player who didn't even start led Miami in receptions. Welker blossomed as a slot receiver in 2006 with a team-high 67 catches for 687 yards and one touchdown. Chambers, though, was a major disappointment as he failed to follow up on his Pro Bowl campaign of 2005. Even though the Dolphins had major instability at quarterback, Chambers often didn't prove himself as a bona fine No. 1 receiver with dropped passes and a frequent inability to shake opposing defensive backs. Booker was starting to build chemistry with Harrington but then suffered an ankle injury that slowed his production in the season's final two games. Hagan struggled with dropped passes and doesn't seem poised to compete for a starting spot in 2007.

OFFENSIVE LINE
Starters -- LT Damion McIntosh, LG Jeno James, C Rex Hadnot, RG L.J. Shelton, RT Vernon Carey. Backups -- G Toniu Fonoti, T Anthony Alabi, G Kendyl Jacox. Injured reserve -- G Seth McKinney, G Bennie Anderson, G Joe Toledo.

After a rough start, this unit settled down nicely after McIntosh was re-inserted as the starting left tackle and Shelton was shifted to right guard six games into the season. Although not a dominating blocker, McIntosh played well enough in 2006 that he should be one of the most highly sought left tackles on the upcoming free agent market provided he isn't re-signed beforehand. Because of a knee injury, James was replaced by veteran Jacox for the final seven games. Shelton was a stopgap fix at a position hurt by the injuries suffered by McKinney and Anderson. Hadnot and Carey are the team's two best offensive linemen.

DEFENSIVE LINE
Starters -- LDE Kevin Carter, NT Keith Traylor, DT Vonnie Holliday, DE Jason Taylor. Backups -- DT Jeff Zgonina, DE Matt Roth, DT Fred Evans, DE David Bowens.

This unit was the strength of the Dolphins defense in 2006, with Taylor winning NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors. Taylor has flourished since being switched to an Elephant role by departed coach Nick Saban in 2005, and he finished the 2006 campaign with 13.5 sacks and a league-best 10 forced fumbles. Traylor, 37, was enjoying one of his best seasons until being slowed by chronic knee problems late in the season. Holliday could become a highly sought free agent after logging seven sacks as an interior lineman. Carter no longer shows flashes of dominance but proved a solid albeit highly paid starter. Roth and Evans should move into more prominent roles in 2007.

LINEBACKERS
Starters -- SLB Donnie Spragan, MLB Zach Thomas, WLB Channing Crowder. Backup -- Derrick Pope.

Thomas is coming off one of the finest season of his 11-year Dolphins career and is being credited by the league's Web site as finishing with an NFL-best 165 tackles. Thomas, 33, also managed to start an entire season for only the second time since 1999. Crowder showed signs of becoming a quality pass-rushing linebacker on blitzes in his second NFL season but still needs to improve his coverage skills. Spragan was used primarily in run situations. The Dolphins got away with having extremely thin depth at linebacker with Crowder, Spragan and Thomas not missing a game.

DEFENSIVE BACKS
Starters -- LCB Andre' Goodman, RCB Will Allen, FS Renaldo Hill, SS Yeremiah Bell. Backups -- S Jason Allen, S Travares Tillman, CB Travis Daniels, CB Michael Lehan.

The insertion of Bell into the starting lineup ahead of Tillman temporarily provided a spark to a Miami secondary that struggled through the first half of the season. But Miami's defensive backs only generated five interceptions, which is especially poor considering how much time Saban personally spent coaching the position. Lingering injuries to Goodman (shoulder), Allen (groin) and Daniels (ankle) affected their performance.

SPECIAL TEAMS
K Olindo Mare, P Donnie Jones, LS John Denney, KR/PR Wes Welker.

Mare had his most disappointing season since joining the Dolphins in 1997 by missing an NFL-high 10 field goals. He did rebound late in the season by making his final nine attempts. Jones also struggled, with his NFL-best net average of 39.3 yards in 2005 dropping to 35.7 in 2006. Welker is more dangerous returning punts than kickoffs.

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