Defensive Tackle is a Major Concern

[bright-light]

Other than QB and Left tackle, the other position where we are extremely vulnerable is defensive tackle. For some reason, this board completely glosses over the dire straits the interior D line is in. Carter and Holliday are 3-4 ends, and not run stuffing tackles. They may be able to get some push inside in the pash rush, but we need to stop the run first and foremost. That's where it starts.

I was disappointed to read that Chester is out of shape. If he shows up to camp overweight, just cut him. That is unacceptable if he cannot work hard and do his job by staying in shape.

TBo is a longshot to stay healthy.

Take all these pieces together, and we are going to have trouble stopping the run.

I would certainly agree and I hope that Saban looks to pick up a good run stuffing DT before the start of a the next season.

 

[Awsi Dooger]

On a different Dolphin forum I have relentlessly campaigned for upfield DTs for 3+ seasons. Anyone who thinks we received dominant DT play from Bowens and Chester in 2002 and 2003 is beyond bonkers. I save tapes from each season. That pairing provided a pass rush that was about as threatening as an avalanche of dimpled chads. The shortest putt I ever made was longer than Larry Chester's best pass rush from 2003.

Maybe it's because I'm such a huge Canes fan and appreciated how superior our defenses became when you had an infield monster like Jerome Brown, Cortez Kennedy, Russell Maryland, Warren Sapp or Vince Wilfork. Guys like that immediately disrupt the intentions of the offense, shorten the play and therefore shorten the field. When you have belly bumping blobs in the middle, a natural pocket forms and the QB has no fear of anything smack in his face. He can survey and yawn. As someone whose job is in sports statistics, I can categorically state motionless DTs are particularly disadvantageous in road games. You get no interior push on the road and the rest of the defense eventually gives way. Just look at Tampa Bay's defense versus the pass in road games in 2002. A surreal 4.71 yards per pass attempt. Relentless pressure up the middle with Sapp, McFadden and Co. (after McFadden was injured). Meanwhile, our Dolphins surrendered more than 50% worse than that, beyond 7.4 yards per pass attempt in road games. It's hardly a coincidence we caved in late in critical road games at Minnesota and New England. Get a young gap-splitting beast in the middle and we're almost immune from that.

 

[Disgustipate]

On a different Dolphin forum I have relentlessly campaigned for upfield DTs for 3+ seasons. Anyone who thinks we received dominant DT play from Bowens and Chester in 2002 and 2003 is beyond bonkers. I save tapes from each season. That pairing provided a pass rush that was about as threatening as an avalanche of dimpled chads. The shortest putt I ever made was longer than Larry Chester's best pass rush from 2003.

There is more to DT performance then pass rush, and to say Bowens and Chester were not dominant is kind of silly. They werent any threat as pass rushers against any teams other then the Bills, but as far as dominating run defenders, there arent a whole hell of alot of better performances then the ones they put up in '02 and '03.