• Philbin has spoken to several Dolphins players this week and has been impressed. “When you look at a team that started the way they did [0-7] and finished strong, that reveals a lot about the type of individuals in that locker-room. They must have some character.”

• Philbin held back tears as he spoke about the death of his son Michael, who drowned Jan. 8. “It has been a heartbreaking experience for all of us. It certainly is not over. Today, I had to look at my bio for the media guide and there’s my son’s name in it, and how am I going to write that in our media guide?

“I was in my office by myself and it was very, very difficult…. We’ve got some healing to do.”

Free agency

• Ireland said the team “will have plenty of cap space to get accomplished what we want to get accomplished.”

The team is believed to have at least $12 million (counting unused space from the 2011 season), and can create more by cutting players or restructuring contracts.

“We’ll be active in free agency,” he said. “Whether that’s aggressive or not, I can’t say at this point. I’ll play in free agency at the high level and play in the medium level and low level.”

• Ireland said if he and Philbin disagree on drafting players A and B, “I have authority to make that decision. But in most cases, we may go with player C.”

• Asked about Colts quarterback Peyton Manning (widely known to be Miami’s top target if he’s set free and if he’s healthy), Ireland said he couldn’t discuss it because of league tampering rules but “he’s obviously a great player.”

• Though he said he would like to re-sign both Paul Soliai and Kendall Langford, “I’m not so sure you can do both of them from a cap situation standpoint.”

He said he could envision Karlos Dansby playing middle linebacker in a 4-3 defense, but that would be up to the coaches. Though Soliai is ideal for the 3-4, “I don’t think a player of his caliber loses value when you move from one defense to another. He fits both schemes.”

And Ireland said “the good thing about Jared Odrick is he can play inside or outside. He played both at Penn State. I could see utilizing him in the same way.”

• Ireland admitted, “We’re obsessed with the quarterback position and we should be. It’s a quarterback-driven league. The execution of the quarterback needs to be better. That’s going to be Joe and his staff’s job to make sure execution is at a high level.”

In the wake of a published report speculating that Yeremiah Bell might be cut for cap reasons, Ireland said he “absolutely” wants to keep him: “He is one of the best professionals I’ve ever been around. I have high regard for Bell as a player.”

Draft talk

With some mock drafts having the Dolphins picking Iowa offensive tackle Riley Reiff in the first round, could Ireland justify using a top-10 pick on that position?

“I can’t say where I’m leaning,” Ireland said of Miami’s first pick, which will be eighth or ninth. “Whether it’s first pick or the second or sixth round, I don’t mind taking tackles. It’s an important position, a position we certain need, losing a free agent there [right tackle Marc Colombo].” But he said he has “a lot of confidence in Lydon Murtha.”

• He said he is undecided whether to try to re-sign guard Vernon Carey and said Philbin will be a big part of that decision.