Inside the NFL Film Room: How 'Bout them Dolphins?

Finding new ways to get Jarvis Landry the ball is just one of the ways Miami is turning its season around.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

The Miami Dolphins entered their fourth season under coach Joe Philbin with playoff expectations.

Miami had finished 2013 and 2014 with matching 8-8 records, enduring mini-collapses to end both campaigns.

2015 was supposed to be different, as quarterback Ryan Tannahill entered his fourth season as well, now with a revamped receiving corps that included budding young stars Jarvis Landry, Rishard Matthews and DeVante Parker, along with veteran Greg Jennings, and tight ends Jordan Cameron and Dion Sims.

Another unit expected to make a leap was the Dolphins offensive line, which was now two years removed from the Richie Incognito-Jonathan Martin bullying saga that tore it apart in 2013. Led by star center Mike Pouncey and left tackle Brandon Albert, along with a pair of promising young guards, the Miami line seemed poise to lead the way for a big year from Lamar Miller.

And that was just on offense.

The expectations were even higher on defense, as Miami opened up its wallet this past offseason for All-Pro defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh, signing the former Lion to a 6-year, $114 million deal that made him the highest paid defensive player in league history. Adding Suh to an improving defense that included revitalized pass rusher Cam Wake, and a promising secondary led by Brent Grimes surely made this a playoff team, right?

Unfortunately for Dol-fans, Miami's season began to fall apart almost instantaneously.

March Mascot Melee™: The Championship Match

It's on.

 By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin) and Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

Well, it's been a long time coming. We've spent the last month whittling down the 64 most fierce mascots in each of the four American major sports down to just two. The tournament has been top-heavy, with two No. 1 seeds (Titans and Devils) and two No. 2 seeds (Angels and Magic) advancing to the Final Four. The Titans and Magic advanced, and thus here we are.

March Mascot Melee™: The Elite Eight Part Two

Ladies, calm down. I'll be here until Ragnarok.

By Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

We're running a little bit behind in our mascot tournament, but we finally made it through the Suite 16 and Jeremy gave is the first half of the Elite Eight earlier today, featuring the finals of the NBA and NHL bracket.

Now, let's get down to the nitty gritty. I will handle the finals from the NFL and MLB brackets, completing our Final Four and getting you ready for the actual games taking place this weekend.

Here's what our bracket looks like at the moment.

March Mascot Melee™: Round One of the NFL Bracket

Steely McBeam is just the worst.

By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

We got our mascot tournament going yesterday with the top mascots from the MLB and the NBA.

Today, we bust out the big guns and tackle the hardest hitting mascots in the National Football League. Check out our bracket below.

Tampa Bay Cuts Benched Quarterback - Josh Freeman Now Free Man

Josh Freeman's days in Tampa Bay are over, but he could find a new home quickly. (Flickr)

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin)

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers made the hilarious decision to release Josh Freeman on Thursday, making him available to sign with any team he chooses. According to ESPN sources, the Bucs contacted each of the 31 other teams but were unable to find a taker for Freeman (or, more accurately, Freeman's $6.2 million cap hit).

Freeman is now three years removed from a particularly strong 2010 season, when he threw for 25 touchdowns against just six interceptions, and finished 6th in the league in passer rating. His 2011 season was undoubtedly disappointing (regression was not kind to Freeman - his interception rate spiked from 1.3% to 4.0%), but he bounced back with an respectable 2012, throwing for over 4000 yards and finishing 18th in Total QBR among 39 qualified candidates.

Long and Suite Preview: The AFC South

Was it Andrew Luck, or simply dumb luck that got Indianapolis into the playoffs last season?

By Jeremy Conlin (@jeremy_conlin) and Joe Parello (@HerewegoJoe)

The South was a top-heavy division in 2012, with both Houston and Indianapolis qualifying for the postseason and Tennessee and Jacksonville largely serving as punchlines for some joke about stagnant franchises with no real support.

Despite all this, the top three spots in the South appear to be up for grabs in 2013. Indianapolis rode rookie quarterback Andrew Luck to a Wild Card berth last year, but are the Colts as good as their 11-5 record says, or are they a team that allowed 30 more points than they scored (yes, they are) and caught a few breaks along the way?

Houston again had one of the league's most balanced offenses and best defenses, but the Texans do have concerns in the secondary. Can newly signed safety Ed Reed stay healthy and play like the ball-hawk he was two or three years ago, or will he be an unexpected downgrade from the underrated and now departed Glover Quin?

Then there's Tennessee, a team with talent at the skill positions and a suddenly promising offensive line. A below average defense and inconsistent play from quarterback Jake Locker doomed the Titans in 2012, but we've seen quick defensive turnarounds in this division before, and Locker did show flashes in his first full season as a starter.

The Jaguars… Well, uh…. They're still in Jacksonville.