Dolphins Ad Depth to Secondary/Release 2006 Schedule

The Miami Dolphins added some depth to their secondary by signing four-year veteran safety Deke Cooper to a one-year contract as an unrestricted free agent from Jacksonville.

Cooper has spent the last three seasons with the Jaguars. In 2005, he started 12 of the 16 games in which he played at strong safety, and recorded 80 tackles and an interception, while adding six tackles on special teams.

2006 Preseason Schedule
Date Opponent Time*
AUG.12 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS 7:30 PM
Aug. 19 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers 7:30 pm
Aug. 24 at Carolina Panthers 8:00 pm
AUG. 31 ST. LOUIS RAMS 7:30 PM
2006 Regular Season Schedule
Date Opponent Time*
Sept. 7 at Pittsburgh Steelers 8:30 pm
SEPT. 17 BUFFALO BILLS 1:00 PM
SEPT. 24 TENNESSEE TITANS 1:00 PM
Oct. 1 at Houston Texans 1:00 pm
Oct. 8 at New England Patriots 1:00 pm
Oct. 15 at New York Jets 4:15 pm
OCT. 22 GREEN BAY PACKERS 1:00 PM
Oct. 29 BYE WEEKEND
Nov. 5 at Chicago Bears 1:00 pm
NOV. 12 KANSAS CITY CHIEFS# 1:00 PM
NOV. 19 MINNESOTA VIKINGS# 1:00 PM
Nov. 23 at Detroit Lions 12:30 pm
DEC. 3 JACKSONVILLE JAGUARS# 1:00 pm
DEC. 10 NEW ENGLAND PATRIOTS# 1:00 PM
Dec. 17 at Buffalo Bills# 1:00 pm
DEC. 25 NEW YORK JETS 8:30 PM
Dec. 31 at Indianapolis Colts# 1:00 pm

Here are some interesting facts to the upcoming season courtesy of Miami Dolphins.com. 2006 will be year number two under Head Coach Nick Saban.

at Pittsburgh, 9/7
• This will be the Dolphins’ first regular season game in Pittsburgh since November 20, 1994 after four straight games in South Florida. It also will be their first-ever regular season game at Heinz Field.

• Of the 17 prior regular season meetings between these teams, this will be the first in a season-opener. This is the first time the Dolphins have opened the season on a Thursday and the sixth time they have commenced the season in prime time, having previously played four on a Monday night and one on a Sunday night.

at Houston, 10/1• This will be the Dolphins’ first-ever regular season game at Houston's Reliant Stadium. They did face the Texans there in the 2002 preseason and in a scrimmage during 2004 training camp.

at Chicago, 11/5• This will be the Dolphins’ first regular season game at Soldier Field since November 24, 1991 after each of the past three matchups have been played at Dolphins Stadium.

vs. Minnesota, 11/19• This will be the Vikings’ first regular season game in South Florida since October 2, 1988 after each of the last three have been staged at the Metrodome.

at Detroit, 11/23• This will be the Dolphins’ first-ever visit, preseason or regular season, to Ford Field.

• This will be the Dolphins’ sixth appearance on Thanksgiving Day. They previously have played the St. Louis Cardinals (1977) and Dallas Cowboys (1973, 1993, 1999, 2003).

• It will be the first time in Dolphins history that they have played two Thursday games in the same season.

vs. Jacksonville, 12/3• This will be the Jaguars’ first-ever regular season game in South Florida. Each of the first two meetings, in addition to a playoff matchup, have been decided at ALLTEL Stadium.

vs. N.Y. Jets, 12/25• This will be the third time that the Dolphins have played on Christmas Day, and the second in the regular season. Their last Christmas game was in 1994 when they defeated Detroit, 27-20, at Dolphins Stadium. They also came away with a 27-24 double-overtime win at Kansas City in a 1971 playoff game.