Here’s a look at the Super Bowl prospects of the Miami Dolphins, who finished the regular season 10-6, before losing in the wild-card round:

Super Bowl barometer: The Miami Dolphins should contend, but there are question marks.

Assessing the foundation: Dolphins owner Stephen Ross recently was asked after the AFC wild-card playoff loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers how close his team was to making the Super Bowl? “Three games away,” Ross responded half-jokingly. “That’s how close we are.” While it’s true that Miami finished three wins away from winning the AFC this past season, every year is a new year. The Dolphins, coming off a 10-6 season, will enter 2017 with playoff expectations and a more difficult strength of schedule as the second-place team in the AFC East. But rookie head coach Adam Gase did a tremendous job of changing the culture and establishing his expectations throughout the organization. The Dolphins, almost overnight, became a tough, well-coached football team that doesn’t make excuses and knows how to win close games. That is a long-term formula for success and a strong foundation. Also, this was a young team, with 33 players age 26 or younger last season. This leads me to believe they will not be a one-year wonder, as young standouts such as Pro Bowl receiver Jarvis Landry, Pro Bowl running back Jay Ajayi, 2016 first-round pick Laremy Tunsil and others all grow together. The Dolphins have a bright future, barring significant injuries.

Judging the quarterback: Miami’s quarterback position is better than most when you consider both the team's starter and the backup. Ryan Tannehill made solid strides in his fifth season -- and first under Gase -- by going 8-5 as a starter and posting a 93.5 passer rating before a knee injury forced him to miss the final three games and the wild-card round. Although not elite, the Dolphins are confident they can win with Tannehill, who is expected to return healthy and should make further strides in his second season in Gase’s system. Backup Matt Moore came in and got the team into the playoffs by going 2-1 to end the regular season. Moore proved what Miami has said for years: He’s one of the top backup quarterbacks in the league. He was aggressive with his downfield passing and brought a different dimension to Miami’s offense. This is something Tannehill likely learned from Moore while watching from the sidelines as something he wants to incorporate more in his game. Moore struggled with turnovers in a wild-card loss to the Steelers. But the Dolphins were big underdogs and expecting a backup to win a playoff game was a lot to ask. With both under contract for 2017, don’t expect any changes for Miami at its most important position.

Realistic ways the Dolphins can improve their chances to contend for a Super Bowl:

1. Upgrade at linebacker. The Dolphins were 29th in total defense and 30th against the run, and a big reason was due to poor linebacker play. Outside of Kiko Alonso, who led the team with 115 tackles, Miami’s linebacker play was inconsistent. Both outside linebacker spots were rotating doors due to injury and poor performance. Look for the Dolphins to upgrade this position via the draft and free agency.

2. Get healthy returns. It’s astonishing to think Miami had its best season in recent memory with safety Reshad Jones (shoulder) and center Mike Pouncey (hip) missing for most of the season and Tannehill missing the final month. These are foundation players who should return healthy in 2017 and must stay that way for Miami to continue to be a contender.

3. Take care of their own. The Dolphins have several in-house contract issues to address. The big ones include Landry, who is entering the final year of his contract and has earned an extension, and Alonso, who is a restricted free agent. Deep threat Kenny Stills also is an unrestricted free agent. The Dolphins would be wise to keep their team together to continue growing.