These are the times that try men’s souls. The darkest hour before the dawn. A couple more weeks before Training Camps start to open. Until then Fantasy Footballers are lost in the desert, desperate for any crumb of Fantasy News. And, to continue the analogy, crawling disheveled through the wilderness, they see mirages in the shimmering distance – reports DeVante Parker will blossom into a viable receiver, that Julius Thomas will score 10-12 TDs.

Down here in Dolphin Land (which at least is a tropical desert island with a beach) we have only one little morsel of Fantasy News: apparently the latest reports suggest Center Mike Pouncey might be ready to play Week One. That would be good news. It would mean the Fins have a starting Center, two starting Tackles, and no idea who’ll be playing Guard.

Still no word about an extension for WR Jarvis Landry, no reports of any discussions between Landry’s Agent and the Miami Front Office, who might be counting on those stories about DeVante Parker and Julius Thomas. Tough to believe there’s not something going on behind the scenes, but I would not put it past the Fins Front Office to bungle this completely.

Supposedly the Dolphins first round selection Pass Rusher DE Charles Harris looked good during OTAs, but we’ve still got a lot of questions about the Defense. Everybody thought Miami needed LBs and DBs. Par for the course, the team Drafted one Linebacker, one Defensive Back, and 3 Defensive Lineman. If these guys can lay Tom Brady out we won’t be complaining. Based on recent history, however, chances of that occurring are rather slim.

According to mainstream media, expectations are high for the Fins this year, but their schedule’s kinda funky. They play the Jets four weeks apart in the early part of the Season (in Weeks 3 and 7), the (Cow) Patties two Weeks apart in weeks 12 and 14, and the Bills two weeks apart in weeks 15 and 17. Miami should be able to beat the Jets, who will probably be a mess, and the Bills are also re-building, but it doesn’t look like they’re going to be catching the (Cow) Patties after they have already clinched.

This season the AFC East is matched up against the AFC West and the NFC South, so Miami will be playing the (LA) Chargers, Denver Broncos, K.C. Chiefs and Oakland Raiders, as well as Atlanta, Carolina, Tampa Bay, New Orleans, Tennessee and. Baltimore. Obviously there’s some good teams in there, but frankly I think if they play to their potential Miami can beat any of them. I just don’t think they will beat all of them. Still if they want to make the Playoffs Miami will have to beat most of them. No telling what the Falcons will be like after choking so badly in the Super Bowl, or if the Panthers can return to form after choking the year before. A lot of people picking Tennessee to step up, and the Fins have an axe to grind after the Titans made them look so bad last year. Oakland and K.C. are looking tough, but I don’t think Denver’s going to be the force they’ve been over the past few Seasons.

One interesting note for all you Fantiacs – I met Morgan Moses, starting RT for Washington Redskins, in a social setting. Didn’t know who he was, just a big guy, but we started talking football, specifically Dolphins and Redskins. I ventured Washington might have some big questions marks at Receiver this year. He was really talking up Josh Doctson, as well as Jordan Reed and Vernon Davis. Eventually he did tell me he was with the Skins, but I did find it interesting how much he was talking up Doctson.

End.