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Miami Dolphins
Overall: 106
Title track: 99
Ownership: 96
Coaching: 98
Players: 113
Fan relations: 115
Affordability: 90
Stadium experience: 98
Bang for the buck: 61
Change from last year: -14
This year, the Dolphins fell in almost every category in these rankings, with slight increases only in stadium experience (thanks to a $500 million renovation) and coaching (excitement over new coach Adam Gase). But the Dolphins still have a long way to go to get to the top half of these standings, and none of it will come until the product on the field improves.
What's good
The Dolphins haven't had a winning record since 2008, but at least they still provide good value. With the fourth-cheapest ticket in the NFL, Miami's top ranking this year came in bang for the buck (61st). Stadium experience, though still ranked near triple-digits, did improve this year, thanks to the completion of a major phase of their $500 million renovation of Hard Rock Stadium. Besides the new name, the team has a state-of-the-art canopy which protects fans from the rain and does a better job of making it louder in the stadium. The team also has four new big screens at the corner of each end zone, which are the largest in the AFC East.
What's bad
A 115th-place rank in fan relations will be disappointing to Dolphins president and CEO Tom Garfinkel, who has spent three years with the team concentrating on community outreach. But he has been hamstrung with a consistently poor product on the field. The Dolphins have made the playoffs just once since 2002. They haven't had a playoff win since 2000. That's 16 years -- nearly a generation -- of fans who have been beaten down and suffered through mostly downtrodden results.
What's new
This year, the Dolphins' roster fell 15 places in the players ranking, now ahead of only two other NFL teams (the Lions and 49ers). This team lacks game-breaking talent thanks, in part, to average to subpar drafts over the past few years, and signing big-name free agents hasn't been a cure-all. QB Ryan Tannehill is a middle-of-the-pack performer at the most important position, which means the Dolphins must be deep in other areas -- and that hasn't been the case. Gase is working to get his kind of players in the building, but it will take a few years to accomplish that.
Next: Washington Redskins | Full rankings