According to Sports Illustrated’s Don Banks, Manning hasn’t had three procedures on his neck in the last year; he’s had four.

In addition, Banks is reporting that Manning may have developed bone spurs in his neck after the last surgery and may require a second bone fusion surgery.

Three of Manning’s surgeries were known. The fourth unreported procedure reportedly took place last summer in Chicago, according to SI.com.

Since it happened while the NFL was locked out, Indianapolis Colts team doctors had little if any contact with the franchise signal-caller.

According to Banks, Manning tried to come back last season in Week 16 to play when the team would reach the red zone.

Obersevers said Manning never threw a pass of more than roughly 22 yards and had about 80 percent of his normal arm strength on his passes, according to SI.com.

The news couldn’t come at a worse time for Manning. He’s involved in a public dispute with the Colts over whether the team will retain him and pay him a $28 million roster bonus and a $7.5 million base salary this season.

Manning has vowed to come back and play this year, but in his recovery from surgery on his neck; he’s still waiting for nerves to regenerate in his arm to regain his arm strength.

It’s unknown where Manning stands in his recovery from the surgery.

But, if SI’s report is accurate and Manning has to undergo another neck surgery; it could put both his 2012 season and the rest of his career in serious jeopardy.

For the Dolphins, it’s yet another red flag the team should monitor if its considering pursuing Manning if he’s released by the Colts, as expected.

Fins owner Stephen Ross has made no secret of his desire to upgrade the quarterback position, and Manning, if healthy, would be at the top of everyone’s list.

But, the Fins have to make a quick decision on the quarterback position. Manning will be released shortly before NFL free agency begins.

If the Fins are intent on pursuing Manning, that will likely preclude them from pursuing free agent quarterback Matt Flynn.

In addition, the Fins could opt to look past Flynn and Manning and trade up in the 2012 NFL Draft to select quarterback Robert Griffin, III.

RGIII, the defending Heisman Trophy winner, is expected to be the second quarterback selected after the Indianapolis Colts select quarterback Andrew Luck.

According to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Dolphins are close to signing Canadian Football League star running back Jerome Messam.

If the Fins sign Messam, it will be to a $390,000 contract if he makes the team’s 53-man roster.

Messam was recently named the CFL’s Most Outstanding Canadian Player and in the past season, he ran for 1,057 yards and six touchdowns in 18 games.

Messam was only the third CFL player to rush for 1,000 yards in a season.

Typically, CFL teams stick to throwing the football in a passing game reminiscent of the Arena Football League.

Messam is 6’3” and weighs 245 pounds and could be a fullback/h-back player for the Dolphins.

If Messam signs with the Fins, he’ll join fellow 1,000 yard rusher Reggie Bush and second-year back Daniel Thomas in the Fins’ backfield.

Friday, head coach Joe Philbin announced four more hires which complete the 21-person coaching staff.

Friday’s hires were assistant defensive backs coach Blue Adams (a former All-Dade player at Miami High who had been coaching at the University of Northern Iowa), defensive assistant Charlie Bullen (who had been a graduate assistant at Iowa), offensive assistant Ben Johnson (a former assistant at Boston College) and assistant offensive line coach Chris Mosley (who coached offensive line at Saint Anselm College in 2011). None of the four have NFL coaching experience.

The team also announced the team will have an assistant quarterback coach (former Nebraska quarterback Zac Taylor) but will not have anyone with the title of quarterback coach.

Taylor will coach the quarterbacks with his father-in-law, new offensive coordinator Mike Sherman.

Karl Dorrell, the Dolphins’ quarterback coach last season, on Friday joined the Houston Texans in that role.

Philbin retained nine coaches from Tony Sparano’s staff, including Jeff Nixon (running backs), Dan Campbell (tight ends), Darren Rizzi (special teams) and Kacy Rodgers (defensive line).

Among those not retained: former interim coach Todd Bowles, offensive coordinator Brian Daboll and pass-rush coach Bryan Cox.

Before Philbin’s hiring, Mike Nolan took the defensive coordinator job with the Falcons; former Bengals defensive backs coach Kevin Coyle will handle that job for the Dolphins.

Miami Dolphins 2012 Coaching Staff

Name Position

• Joe Philbin                    Head Coach
• Lou Anarumo              Defensive Backs
• Dan Campbell              Tight Ends
• David Corrao        Defensive Quality Control/Assistant Linebackers
• Kevin Coyle                  Defensive Coordinator
• George Edwards          Linebackers
• Dave Fipp Assistant     Special Teams
• Darren Krein                 Head Strength And Conditioning
• Phil McGeoghan          Assistant Wide Receivers
• Jeff Nixon                      Running Backs
• Ken O’Keefe                   Wide Receivers
• Dave Puloka                 Assistant Strength And Conditioning
• Darren Rizzi                  Special Teams Coordinator
• Kacy Rodgers              Defensive Line
• Mike Sherman             Offensive Coordinator
• Zac Taylor                    Assistant Quarterbacks
• Jim Turner                   Offensive Line

(©2012 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. CBS4 news partner The Miami Herald contributed material for this report.)

According to Michael Lombardi of the NFL Network, “He [Peyton Manning] can’t throw the ball. I’ve talked to people who’ve caught the ball for him. He can’t throw the ball to his left. He can’t throw the ball across his body, because he doesn’t feel it. People that catch the ball for him say he doesn’t really have velocity on the ball yet.”

Manning has not played in more than a year after he had surgery on his neck. He’s currently hoping nerves will regenerate and give him feeling in his throwing arm, specifically his triceps muscle.

In the meantime, Manning is due a $28 million roster bonus in early March if he’s on the Colts’ roster.

No one expects Manning to receive the roster bonus, but the question at that point is; will another team take a chance on Manning and sign him?

Dolphins owner Stephen Ross has become infatuated with signing Manning, but with so many questions surrounding Manning’s future; it may not be worth it.

The Fins need a franchise quarterback, but at best, Manning would be able to play a maximum of three more years.

After that, the Fins would be right back to square one looking for a franchise quarterback.

The 2012 NFL Draft has two potential franchise quarterbacks: Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin, III. Luck is going to be drafted by the Indianapolis Colts.

But RGIII will be auctioned off to the highest bidder by the St. Louis Rams, who hold the number two overall pick.

RGIII is the defending Heisman Trophy winner and is a true dual-threat quarterback even in ways that last year’s number one pick, Cam Newton, isn’t.

RGIII is an Olympic hurdler and has improved as a passer each and every year he’s been a college quarterback.

But, the allure of Manning may be too much for Dolphins owner Stephen Ross to turn down.

Manning, for his career, has thrown for 54,828 yards and 399 touchdown passes.

Williams spent last season with the Baltimore Ravens where he ran the ball 108 times for 444 yards and two touchdowns. But before that, Williams played for the Miami Dolphins from 2002-2010.

His career started out with a bang when former New Orleans Saints head coach Mike Ditka traded his entire draft to acquire Williams.

The Heisman Trophy winner’s mercurial personality was later displayed that year when he appeared on a magazine cover with Ditka with Ricky dressed in a wedding gown.

During his stint with the Dolphins, he was most well-known for retiring on the team before the 2004 season in order to pursue other things including holistic medicine and possibly marijuana usage. But his retirement lasted just one year before he came back to the Dolphins.

Williams finished 2005 with 743 rushing yards, but failed a drug test and was suspended for the entire 2006 season.

He instead went to the Canadian Football League’s Toronto Argonauts and played for a season with them.

He was reinstated for the 2007 season, but lasted just one regular season game before going down to an injury.

He would then come back for a solid 2008 season as part of a running back tandem with Ronnie Brown.

In 2009, Williams once again became a workhorse running back for the Dolphins and responded by running for more than 1,100 yards and 11 touchdowns.

Williams also added 35 catches for 264 yards and two touchdowns while Brown was out on injured reserve.

Williams’ production diminished in 2010 and he was not re-signed by the Dolphins following the season.

He was signed by the Ravens for the 2011 season and the team made it deep into the playoffs before losing to eventual AFC Champion New England Patriots.

Ricky ran the ball 775 times in 2002-2003 for 3,225 yards, but his overuse by then Dolphins coach Dave Wannstedt may have played a small part in his problems from 2005-2008.

During his time in Miami, Williams rushed for 6,436 yards and 48 touchdowns. For his career, Williams finished with 10,009 rushing yards, 66 touchdowns, 2606 receiving yards and 8 receiving touchdowns.

Williams tweeted this out shortly after the news broke: “Thank you all, but this ain’t it, I’m gonna do something really special, “Be you and change the world”

Marshall had four touchdown catches during Sunday’s NFL Pro Bowl. For comparison, he’s had nine total touchdown catches for the past two seasons.

Obviously, the Fins’ lack of a quarterback is holding back not only the offense, but also Marshall.

“Quarterbacks make it easier for me,” Marshall told a NBC sideline reporter during the Pro Bowl, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel. “These guys are putting it in the right places and I’m making plays. It’s easy right now.”

Just how easy was it for Marshall? His best catch of the night was an acrobatic reception that saw him fall on his back and kick the ball to himself past defenders.

And Marshall isn’t wasting any time trying to line up a solid quarterback for the Miami Dolphins next season.

Marshall has reportedly reached out to Matt Flynn, who could become a Dolphins target; and plans to reach out to Peyton Manning if he’s released by the Colts.

The NFL is a quarterback-driven league and Sunday’s performance by Marshall proved that theory and proved why the Dolphins have been stuck in neutral since Dan Marino left the team.

The new coach of the Miami Dolphins hired Sherman as offensive coordinator on Friday, also adding Kevin Coyle as the team’s defensive coordinator. Combined, the 57-year-old Sherman and the 56-year-old Coyle have 68 years of football coaching experience.

“They are exactly what I am looking for in terms of leadership, character, and teaching ability,” Philbin said. “They are both very passionate about the game of football and the players they coach, and that enthusiasm is evident in the meeting rooms and on the field. They are excellent family men and I’m thrilled they are joining the Dolphins’ football family. I can’t wait to get started to work with them.”

In Sherman’s case, that’s more like a reunion than anything else.

Sherman and Philbin have a relationship that goes back decades — Sherman was once Philbin’s high school English teacher. When Sherman was head coach at Green Bay, he gave Philbin his first NFL coaching job.

Sherman joins Miami after four years as head coach at Texas A&M. He also has been on the staffs at Seattle and Houston, along with college stops at Tulane, Holy Cross and UCLA.

Coyle has been a coach in Cincinnati since 2001, serving the last nine of those years as the Bengals’ defensive backs coach. He has been a defensive coordinator at the college level at schools including Syracuse, Maryland, Fresno State, the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy and Holy Cross, and has also worked as a collegiate assistant at Cincinnati and Arkansas.

(© 2012 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)

Future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning gave an interview earlier this week in which he had deep concerns over the future of the Indianapolis Colts. Manning said he wasn’t sure about the atmosphere that had been created in Indianapolis with the massive turnover in coaching.

Colts owner Jim Irsay was none too pleased with Manning airing out the comments and said problems like that should have been handled in house.

It’s setting the stage for the two sides to come to a mutual agreement to sever ties with each other before Manning is due a roughly $28 million roster bonus for the coming 2012 season. But, it’s not that simple with Manning.

Peyton missed the entire 2011 campaign after having to undergo surgery that was meant to try to stimulate nerves going to his triceps muscle into growing again. However, there is no recovery schedule from the surgery, and no doctor really knows how, or if, Manning will ever recover.

Assuming Manning does recover to return to the field, he will be 36-years-old and has thrown more than 7,000 passes for more than 54,000 yards. But, for a team like Miami, which is desperate for a quarterback, Manning could become an attractive option.

If the situation in Indianapolis continues to turn uglier, then the Colts will likely cut Manning loose to focus on rebuilding with the number one overall pick, quarterback Andrew Luck.

Manning would have earned $28 million this season, meaning any team that wanted to sign him to a two-year contract would likely have to cough up in the neighborhood of $50 million.

But, it’s still too early to say if Manning will leave the Colts and if he will ever be able to play again.

Until then, Dolphins fans will hope for the best on both fronts and hope that finally, the Fins will at least have a big name quarterback to push the ball down the field.

Also remember, it was Carl Peterson, Dolphins owner Stephen Ross’ adviser, who one day years ago traded for an aging quarterback that one team gave up on named Joe Montana.

Fins head coach Joe Philbin hired former Cincinnati Bengals defensive backs coach Kevin Coyle as the team’s new defensive coordinator and former Texas A&M head coach Mike Sherman as the team’s new offensive coordinator, according to Jason LaCanfora of the NFL Network.

Sherman has a history in the NFL, as he was the former head coach of the Green Bay Packers and the offensive coordinator for the Seattle Seahawks in 1999 and Houston Texans in 2007. Over time, Sherman’s team have thrown the football much more than run it.

Philbin was actually a student in a class taught by Sherman years ago.

But, Sherman is going to have to tailor his offense to a team without a franchise quarterback, at least at this point.

Peyton Manning remains the big fish in the sea, but he may never play again. Robert Griffin III is the man to get in the 2012 NFL Draft, but the Fins may not have the ammo to go get him.

Both Coyle and Sherman have decades of coaching experience and Coyle could transition the team to a 4-3 defense from the team’s current 3-4 defense.

According to Armando Salguero of the Miami Herald, the Fins are in the final stages of hiring Bengals defensive backs coach Kevin Coyle as the team’s new defensive coordinator.

Coyle has coached the Bengals’ secondary for the past nine seasons. He’s helped shape defensive backs like Jonathan Joseph, Leon Hall, and resurrected the career of Adam “Pacman” Jones.

With Coyle in tow, Dolphins head coach Joe Philbin will have to decide who will be the team’s new offensive coordinator. Philbin wasn’t expected to retain former offensive coordinator Brian Daboll.

Mike Sherman, former Green Bay Packers and Texas A&M head coach, is the front-runner to land the offensive coordinator job after losing out on the head coaching job in Tampa to Rutgers’ Greg Schiano.