It was business as usual for the Miami Dolphins and the accused woman-beater.

No matter that Phillip Merling was in jail on the eve of minicamp after being charged with aggravated battery against a girlfriend who is two months pregnant with their second child. The defensive end still worked with the starting unit during last weekend’s practices as if nothing had happened.
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This pass-the-buck mentality helps explain why the Dolphins have supplanted Cincinnati and Pittsburgh as the NFL’s new bad boys.

A league-high four Dolphins players have gotten arrested this offseason, yet there is no indication that any have missed a second of practice time for their actions. Two players -- running back Ronnie Brown and cornerback Will Allen -- were popped for DUIs. A third (defensive tackle Tony McDaniel) also was charged with domestic violence.
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During his 2007 introductory news conference, Parcells proclaimed he didn’t want “thugs and hoodlums” on his team. So what did the Dolphins do this offseason? Sign an on-field thug (guard Richie Incognito) and add a wide receiver with a history of hoodlum-like behavior (Brandon Marshall).

The fun doesn’t end there. Besides the four arrests, general manager Jeff Ireland came under fire for allegedly asking wide receiver Dez Bryant whether his mother was a prostitute during a pre-draft interview. The Dolphins also re-signed Jason Ferguson even though he’s facing an eight-game suspension for a second violation of the NFL’s steroid policy.

This team is oilier than the Gulf of Mexico.

Since January of 2007, 15 Dolphins players and coaches have been arrested — more than any team in the NFL. The notorious Bengals have had a mere nine arrests during the same period of time.
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When Bill Parcells took over the GM reigns in December of 2007, he stated, "I don't want thugs and hoodlums on the team."

Since that day, 10 Dolphins players and coaches have been arrested — six battery charges among them.

The average NFL team over the past 11 years suffers on average 1.4 arrests during the off-season. The Dolphins have averaged more than four arrests per year since 2007, and five per season since Parcells took the reigns.

> Posted by Joe Rose on June 2, 2010 10:42 AM
FoxSports.com senior NFL writer Alex Marvez was pretty outspoken on the show today about the number of Miami Dolphins' offseason arrests and the lack of accountability by the front office.

...

No Tony, it's not a league matter. It's a Miami Dolphins matter," said a fired-up Marvez. ...


Do as I say not as I do Bill Parcells when it comes to the thugs and hoodlum comment that you made in 2007.

...

"Part of the problem is no one in ownership has the gumption to stand up to Bill Parcells.

...

Marvez also said there are two sides to every story, but that the Dolphins should have taken a page from the Seattle Seahawks, who sent a player home under similar circumstances

I'm going to accuse Alex Marvez of rape and then require that his employer suspend him without pay before the accusations are ever verified....

I'm going to accuse Alex Marvez of rape and then require that his employer suspend him without pay before the accusations are ever verified....