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Hyde5: Here's The Stat Dolphins Are Building Around Defensively

DKphin

DKphin

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Here’s the number the Dolphins consider as they revamp their defense this off-season and eye draft options:
Sixty-five percent.
That’s the percent of plays offenses senses lined up against them in a three-receiver set last year. That’s the trend across the NFL, of course, and it plays directly into the thinking of the 11th pick overall.
Washington defensive tackle Vita Vea? He’s good. He’d take the place of the departed star Ndamukong Suh. The question is if there are other options that fit better into this three-wide idea. The Dolphins will be looking for some help at defensive tackle, but that’s not that their first thought right now.
That’s because this 65-percent issue also has molded the Dolphins off-season thoughts on using their defensive line. They added Robert Quinn to the roster and the model now is the 2011 New York Giants. Remember the Giants’ Super Bowl win against New England? THey played defensive ends Jason Pierre-Paul, Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck played at the same time and pressured Tom Brady on 20 of his 43 passes.
The Dolphins plan to move defensive end William Hayes inside a lot this year. That will put an extra pass rusher (who is also a good run-stopper) on the field. They also will have other options at times — a line with four defensive ends? — because they’re rich at pass-rushing ends in Cameron Wake, Robert Quinn, Charles Harris and Andre Branch. (Too rich? Do they really need four?)
This gets to the draft: If their quarterback doesn’t fall to them – and that’s the working idea right now - the need for help in pass coverage matters. The dovetails into the need for a starting, athletic linebacker so tight ends don’t go unchecked like the last couple of seasons.The Dolphins finished 28th in covering tight ends, according to Football Outsiders, and 18th against covering running backs.
Georgia’s Roquan Smith? Virginia Tech’s Tremaine Edmunds (son of former Dolphins tight end Ferrell Edmunds?) They’d fit the bill, though both could get gone by the time the Dolphins pick.
Another name that would help in the draft if he somehow fell there: Alabama’s Minkah Fitzpatrick. He can play safety or cornerback — the perfect hybrid for not just the passing age but the era where big-hitting safeties are being diminished by rule changes.
The question of this defensive makeover is whether opposing teams went three-receiver wide on the Dolphins because that’s just the way of the NFL right now or also because the Dolphins didn’t have the personnel to match up.
The Dolphins ranked 19th at yielding 7.2 yards per pass in 2017.
They ranked 17th at yelding 4.1 yards per rushing attempt last year.
The three-receiver set makes the nickle package really the base defense in the league these days. You need more cornerbacks, more athletic linebackers. Of course, you can run out of it, too, as the Dolphins did effectively by the end of the season with Kenyan Drake
The Dolphins’ offense used three-receiver sets 73 percent of the time in 2017, according to the website SharpFootballStats.com. New England, however, only used it 44 percent of the time.
We’ll see if this defense improves under this thinking. We’ll see if a team like New England doesn’t see what the Dolphins are doing and, as Bill Belichick has done, decide to play old-school, smash-mouth football and run on them. But it’s clear what he Dolphins need to finish off the philosophy. They need a starting linebacker who can run. Of course, whatever the philosophy, they need a starting linebacker just to line up this fall.
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http://www.sun-sentinel.com/sports/...aveHyde-blog+(Dave+Hyde+|+Sun+Sentinel+blogs)
 
After reading the article, I don't understand why we extended McDonald? Further, the article doesn't discuss our porous running defense with Suh. I have no problems picking up a player like Fitzgerald but we still need a LB that has a knack for hitting the hole and getting the RB at the line not 5-6 yards down field. Not sure what is more painful to watch a running game gashing our run defense or a TE/RB/WR combo that dungs and dings all the way down the field?
 
James, Fitzpatrick, and Smith all come to mind when I read this article.

Coverage, ability to rush, impactful defensive players.
 
claytonduper said:
After reading the article, I don't understand why we extended McDonald? Further, the article doesn't discuss our porous running defense with Suh. I have no problems picking up a player like Fitzgerald but we still need a LB that has a knack for hitting the hole and getting the RB at the line not 5-6 yards down field. Not sure what is more painful to watch a running game gashing our run defense or a TE/RB/WR combo that dungs and dings all the way down the field?
Click to expand...

If Miami picks Fitzpatrick or James in round 1 or even a Bates or Reid in round 2, McDonald will probably play the WLB role in a 3 safety look. McDonald is big and physical enough to play the run yet he can also cover most TEs.
 
I don't think he said anything we didn't already know. We need to cover better and we need to rush the passer better. If our QB falls to us we'll take him and if he doesn't we'll go defense....duh
 
Phinatic8u said:
I bet those 3 are at the top of the list too.
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If the quarterbacks go like they should, we'll have three great options in those guys. The only gut-check I think Gase has is if Rosen or Mayfield actually fall to us. Doubt Mayfield does, but regardless that will be tough for Gase. Otherwise it's just going to be who's at the top of your Defensive Player board, and I'll be a happy FinFan.
 
claytonduper said:
After reading the article, I don't understand why we extended McDonald? Further, the article doesn't discuss our porous running defense with Suh. I have no problems picking up a player like Fitzgerald but we still need a LB that has a knack for hitting the hole and getting the RB at the line not 5-6 yards down field. Not sure what is more painful to watch a running game gashing our run defense or a TE/RB/WR combo that dungs and dings all the way down the field?
Click to expand...

I may be in the minority here, but I like what I saw from Davon Godchaux and Vincent Taylor last year. They're not Suh (never will be), Suh's skill set was special (one of kind). Godchaux and Taylor will bring there own skill set to the game and our coaches have to use schemes that will maximize their skills. Acquiring Robert Quinn was HUGE, and because of this move, I am expecting the Phins to move William Hayes inside to rotate with Jordan Phillips, Godchaux, and Taylor.

Now again, I might be in the minority here too. I like our personnel at CB. Xavien Howard, Cordrea Tankersly, Tony Lippet; Bobby McCain (who started playing better at the end of the season), and I see potential in Torry McTyer and hope to see him further develop.

What they need the most is smart, quick reacting, versatile LBs. More specifically, a LB that can play SAM and/or MIKE. If they can find a way to get better production out of the LB corp, this will go a long way in improving both the run D and short-to-intermediate pass D. Improving this D starts with the LBs. (Drafting Tremaine Edmonds, Roquan Smith, or Leighton Vander Esch in the first round, or Darius Leonard, Skai Moore, Fred Warner in latter rounds.

We need more versatility at safety. We have two stout run stopping safeties, but we need at least one safety with RANGE. Reshad Jones and TJ McDonald have similar skill sets, they are interchangeble. I am hoping they use packages that include dropping McDonald to the LB position to cover TEs and RBs this year, but in order to do that, we need a true FS. (Drafting Minkah Fitzpatrick, Justin Reid, or Tavarius Moore (most underrated player at the position) will immediately fix this position. Later round draft picks include Kyzir White, Jessie Bates III, and Armani Watts.
 
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