Breaking down the Dolphins' defense | FinHeaven - Miami Dolphins Forums

Breaking down the Dolphins' defense

B

BAMAPHIN 22

FinHeaven Elite
Joined
Jul 30, 2004
Messages
19,666
Reaction score
47
Location
Huntsville, AL
I am enamored with the Miami Dolphins' defense this year. It is talented, productive and deep. And the entire unit is going to benefit greatly from the front three.

Like with any odd front, we need to start with the nose tackle. He is rarely mentioned among the best anchors in the NFL, but Paul Soliai deserves to be. A taller version of guys like Vince Wilfork and Casey Hampton, Soliai is a huge man. And he knows how to use his extreme girth to occupy offensive linemen and hold the point of attack against the run.


He is exactly what you want at the position and the type of player who allows everyone around him to do their jobs more easily. Miami was wise to use its franchise tag on Soliai before free agency opened. He is someone the Dolphins could not afford to lose.

Ronald Fields was recently signed as a backup for Soliai. There would be a noticeable drop-off if Soliai were to miss time, but Fields is built for the position and does have starting experience. He is purely a run-stuffer, but the depth he provides is valuable.

Much like Soliai at the nose, Randy Starks is rarely mentioned when discussing the best 3-4 defensive ends in the league. He too deserves to be in that conversation. A power player who also has strong movement skills, Starks is a force against the run or pass. He has played some nose tackle in the past, but is much better suited at end. Starks is a Pro Bowl-caliber defensive lineman.

Kendall Langford will start at the other defensive end spot. He too had an exceptional 2010 campaign. Like the rest of this group, he is more or less the prototype at the position, but I see Langford as a little quicker and more athletic than Starks. He has slightly superior movement skills, but isn’t quite the power player Starks can be. Langford is the real deal, and he might only be getting better.

Last year’s first-round pick, Jared Odrick, also will be in the mix this season. Coming out of Penn State, Odrick looked ideal for this defense. He is well built with long arms and uses his hands to control his opponent very well for such a young player. Odrick is obviously quite talented, and with the wealth of options the Dolphins have up front, the team should be able to bring him along at his own pace instead of forcing him in when he isn’t ready.

The Dolphins were smart to re-sign Tony McDaniel. Like the rest of this line, the re-signing went largely unnoticed, but McDaniel is hitting his prime. He is a tall defensive end with a great wing span. McDaniel played very well for Miami last season and is about as good of a depth defensive lineman as you will find in the league today.

The odd man out, especially after McDaniels’ re-signing, could be Phillip Merling. As it stands today, the 26-year-old Merling probably will make the team, but injuries have plagued him and he might be a better fit as a more traditional base end in a 4-3 scheme. This is a pivotal year in Merling’s career, but as you can see from the above descriptions, getting playing time might not come easy for this former second-round pick.

The Dolphins added Jason Taylor to spell Koa Misi and Cameron Wake, while also providing great leadership. As pass-rushers, these outside linebackers should benefit greatly from all the attention Miami’s defensive line is sure to attract.
Click to expand...

http://espn.go.com/blog/afceast/post/_/id/30526/breaking-down-the-dolphins-defense
 
RockyMtnPhinfan said:
I have to disagree, this defense as stated above is not one guy. Cam could go down and I stillthink we have a GREAT D. Wake is not the corner stone, that line mentioned above is the glue to this D!
Click to expand...

Wake goes down and we would have NO pass rush whatsoever
Misi had 1 sack the last 10 games....1

Good QBs would have the extra time to pick our secondary apart
 
yeah, ________________ gets hurt we are in trouble.

that can be said for any team.
 
Wake goes down, our pass rush will definitely take a hit, but JT is a solid back up.

Our DL is so good that they were able to keep too many teams from double teaming Wake because they get such a good push up the middle in passing situations.

This DL is really what will make this defense great. It will allow Dansby, Misi, Wake, and Burnett to wreck havoc.
 
i am also excited about our defense but really wanted them to go out and try to get Manny Lawson from the niners. I thought they were looking for an pass rushing OLB and were considering moving Misi inside, i think having lawson and wake on the outside would have been deadly.... but this defense will go as far as the front 3 and the 2 CBs go, if they are all performing they way we thing they should all the other pieces will fall into place......
 
Cam Wake goes down, both Burnett and Dansby can fill in as a pass rusher and allow AJ Edds to get more burn inside. There are options there.
 
miamiron said:
Wake goes down and we would have NO pass rush whatsoever
Misi had 1 sack the last 10 games....1

Good QBs would have the extra time to pick our secondary apart
Click to expand...

JT ISNT OVER THE HILL JUST YET HE can still bring the heat and ont say that he couldnt play 16 games because imo he is still as good as he was maybe just lost a half a step but most and formost can still BRING IT
 
I think the Dolphins have the talent to be a dominating defense..... if they can make the interceptions when the opportunity is presented instead of dropping the damn ball. The D line is excellent and the LBs improved.
 
If anyone goes down.....we have great depth and nolan is pretty darn creative.....he can easily put a bandaid on any deficiency that happens during the season.
 
I fear losing Dansby most of all. If I recall correctly last year he missed the last 2 games and they gave up 34 and 38. I think he's the linchpin but with Burnett in the fold that may take some of the pressure away.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom