^[1]The Dolphins had a handful of players who really stepped up their game in 2012.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Finsiders announced Dolphins safety Reshad Jones as the winner of the Most Improved Player Award, in a vote that combined fan voting with the selections of the analysts. Listen to Jesse Agler, John Congemi and former Dolphin running back Troy Stradford explain why Jones was their selection by clicking here ^[2].

Here were the nominees for Finsiders Most Improved Player:

• Nolan Carroll: With Vontae Davis traded to Indianapolis and Richard Marshall forced to miss the final 12 games with a back injury, Nolan Carroll had a solid season when pressed into action. The third-year cornerback, who played sparingly in his first two seasons in Miami, finished with 52 total tackles, one sack and one forced fumble in 2012.

• Chris Clemons: As a key part of the Dolphins’ reshuffled secondary, Clemons consistently held down the starting strong safety spot in 2012, finishing with more tackles than he had in the previous three seasons combined. Clemons’ final 2012 stats: 99 total tackles, 2 INT.

• Brian Hartline: After a trying offseason — he was sidelined for months with several ailments, including the aftermath of an appendectomy — Hartline had a breakout season. He had a day to remember in Arizona in Week 4, setting a Dolphins record with 253 receiving yards. That day helped Hartline hit another big milestone; he finished with 1,083 yards, becoming just the eighth player in Dolphins history with 1,000 receiving yards in a season.

• John Jerry: Jerry, the third-year guard, needed a strong offseason to earn playing time in Mike Sherman’s offense — and he delivered. During the preseason, the noticeably slimmer Jerry was plugged in at right guard and ended up starting all 16 games. You didn’t hear Jerry’s name much, and that was a good thing.

• Reshad Jones: When the Dolphins needed a play from the back end of the defense, it usually came from Jones, a breakout player in 2012. Jones’ final 2012 stats: 95 total tackles, one sack, four interceptions and two forced fumbles.

• Koa Misi: Perhaps the biggest beneficiary of the switch to the 4-3 defense. Misi played outside linebacker in Kevin Coyle’s aggressive scheme and clearly made strides during his third NFL season. With Kevin Burnett and Karlos Dansby locking down the other linebacker spots, Misi held his own. Misi’s final 2012 stats: 65 tackles, 3.5 sacks and two forced fumbles.

Honorable Mentions: Pat Devlin, Anthony Fasano, Sean Smith

Tune in to The Finsiders live show on Wednesday afternoon at 5 pm for a chance to vote on the Finsiders Play Of The Year award, only on Dolphins.com