Don’t be surprised if Arizona linebacker Calvin Pace leaves South Florida as a member of the Miami Dolphins following a free-agent visit.

A league source told FOXSports.com that Miami is preparing to offer Pace the same kind of mega-deal that linebackers Adalius Thomas and Joey Porter received in free agency last off-season. New England and Miami signed Thomas and Porter respectively to five-year, $32 million contracts that included $20 million in guaranteed money.

Incidentally, Thomas and Porter never made the kind of impact in 2007 that was expected for the money paid.

While the 2003 first-round pick struggled as a 4-3 defensive end in his first four NFL seasons, Pace blossomed last year when moved to outside linebacker in Arizona’s new 3-4 scheme. Pace finished with career highs in tackles (98), sacks (6.5) and passes defensed (6).

By franchising fellow outside linebacker Karlos Dansby, Arizona was willing to let Pace test the market. Unless wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald can be signed to a new contract that lowers his salary cap number of roughly $16 million, Arizona appears likely to lose Pace and wideout Bryant Johnson in free agency.

X: San Francisco running back Maurice Hicks is planning to take a future free-agent visit to Minnesota, FOXSports.com has learned.

Hicks started five games for the 49ers in 2004 and 2005 and has primarily handled kick returns for the past two seasons.

Philadelphia and Houston also have expressed interest in Hicks, a source said.

X: Adam Caplan of scout.com reports that New Orleans will re-sign defensive tackle Brian Young and linebacker Mark Simoneau. Young is slated to receive a three-year, $12 million deal.

After Sunday’s 37-20 loss to Dallas, linebacker Joey Porter should know it was easier to back his words when playing for Pittsburgh rather than the downtrodden Miami Dolphins.

Porter talked some trash about Marion Barber to FOXSports.com before the game, calling him “cocky” and saying the Cowboys running back “thinks he’s a tough guy sometimes.” Porter also said he was “going to be looking for” Barber.

It didn’t take long for Porter to find him, as the two exchanged words on the field before the game. Porter also was penalized 15 yards for unsportsmanlike conduct on Barber’s first carry when ripping off his helmet on a tackle.

Barber was unfazed and proceeded to rush for 89 yards and two touchdowns on just 14 carries. Porter finished with a measly two tackles, which isn’t what the Dolphins expected when signing him to a five-year, $32 million contract this off-season.

Barber said afterward that he was unaware of Porter’s pre-game comments and had nothing further to add. But such a plea of ignorance sounds su####ious, especially when wide receiver Terrell Owens said he knew about Porter’s barbs.

“I think Marion handled that situation very nicely getting into the end zone twice,” Owens said. “Marion, by no means, is going to shy from anyone. His name should be ‘Marion the Barbarian’ because he has a nose and a knack for the goal line. If there is contact to be made, he's going to make it."

As for Porter, he was short with Dolphins media after a second consecutive loss.

“We are a better defense than we showed the last two weeks,” Porter said. “To have it happen like it did (against Dallas) … it’s kind of embarrassing.”

Questionable decisions

The list of suspect personnel moves made by Cam Cameron since he became Dolphins head coach in January continues to grow.

With a rebuilding team, Cameron should be trying to groom youngsters in backup roles. While rookies like starting center Samson Satele and returner/backup wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. are playing, Cameron declared three promising draft picks and first-year players -- defensive tackle Paul Soliai, defensive end Rodrique Wright and running back Lorenzo Booker -- inactive against Dallas. Cameron instead used journeymen lacking the same potential to make a significant future impact.

Case in point: Receiving snaps ahead of Soliai was Steve Fifita, whose high-energy play is tempered by his diminutive size (he’s generously listed at 6-feet tall and 312 pounds on the Dolphins roster). Fifita doesn’t have the dimensions to man the nose tackle position in case 38-year-old Keith Traylor gets injured  --- which has happened each of the past two seasons -- and was enveloped by massive Cowboys right guard Leonard Davis during one unsuccessful Dolphins goal-line stand. At 6-foot-4 and 344 pounds, Soliai could physically handle the spot with more experience, but the opportunity to gain some was wasted Sunday.

Cameron may soon face a more crucial decision at quarterback if Trent Green doesn’t rebound from a sluggish start. Green matched his career high for interceptions Sunday with four and was high with too many throws, which is a bad sign from a 37-year-old quarterback already struggling to complete deep passes.

Cameron’s two other quarterback options are four-year veteran Cleo Lemon, a career reserve set to become an unrestricted free agent in the off-season, and rookie John Beck. Miami made Beck its “quarterback of the future” when selecting him in the second round after passing on Brady Quinn.

There would be additional bumps for Miami’s already struggling offense if Beck were given snaps now. But when the Dolphins are out of playoff contention – which could be as early as midseason judging by the team’s early performance and New England’s hot start – Cameron needs to get Beck on the field with an eye toward 2008.

There’s just no guarantee Cameron will do it.

Turning of the tide

Don’t underestimate the impact a 23-20 victory against Seattle could make on the Arizona Cardinals. Talent isn’t lacking in the desert so much as confidence, which Cardinals cornerback Eric Green confirmed after Arizona squandered yet another late-game lead in last Monday’s 20-17 loss to San Francisco.

“We just never finish,” Green lamented.

The Cardinals finally did thanks to Neil Rackers’ 42-yard field goal with one second remaining.

Lack of maturity

Having closely followed Cincinnati since my days as a Bengals beat writer in the mid-1990s, I’ve come to this conclusion: The franchise will generally play up or down to the level of competition being faced. The reasoning stems from an overall lack of maturity on a roster that annually fails to grasp consistency is key to ongoing success.

A 51-45 loss to Cleveland after forcing six turnovers in a season-opening victory over Baltimore further confirms my su####ion.

Feeling the heat

After Joey Harrington was sacked 13 times in Atlanta’s first two games, I can understand Michael Vick wanting to avoid this type of punishment.