Well there are a lot of items to discuss on this topic, but here are a few of my higher priority ones:
1. Today's NFL is more of a front 6 than a front 7.
With nickel becoming the new base, it is going to be harder no matter how you line up since you will only have 6 guys. This leads directly to the benefit of multiple defenses that can shift guys into DL and back to LB, as well as the current trend of playing S as LB and allowing them to flex back into S spots on a play by play basis. The high versatility guys, hybrids, and guys who used to be called "tweeners" are back in vogue, especially with this defense. In fact, they're at a premium, so they're hard to acquire now.
2. I predicted 2021 would be our draft for edge rushers.
The front and back ends need to work together, and Coach Flo has heavily invested in DB's (2 highest paid CB's [Xavien Howard and Byron Jones] and drafted a 3rd CB in round 1 [Noah Iggy], and that is just the CB's!). For us to get a good return from those DB's, we need to get a pass rush. The 2019 draft was--correctly--about building a base, with high investment in DL (Christian Wilkins) and a mid-round investment in OL (Michael Deiter). I was on record as believing we needed to invest in more OL, but we didn't. We also passed on a pass rusher (Chase Winovich) to take a flyer on a QB, and while I was against that and it did not work out ... I can't blame the staff for taking a shot. There simply were not any pass rushers in the 2020 draft except for the exceptional Chase Young--who we were never going to get because we correctly targeted a QB. That meant that bypassing pass rusher in 2019 meant we were not going to find one until 2021. If the goal was to stay bad until we reached the 2021 draft, then not investing in pass rushers made a lot of sense. This allowed us to pick high in all thee drafts (2019, 2020, and 2021) to maximize all those great draft picks. But in 2021, make no mistake about it, we NEED to draft 2 stud pass rushers. Our current guys suck.
3. We now see that the scheme does NOT generate the pass rush.
The consensus about the Patriots defense had always been that the scheme generates the pass rush. I love that concept, but was always skeptical of it. The Patriots may not be able to pay and keep elite pass rushers who all seem set to leave for richer pastures in FA so they get traded. It makes the roster more manageable when there are no players with high sack numbers, so the Patriots like to spread that around. But make no mistake about it ... it requires more than just scheme. Our scheme has produced the worst pass rush in the NFL. Without talent ... it isn't going to work.
4. Shaq Lawson and Emannuel Ogbah are stopgap players.
These guys have potential, and in this multiple system they might find a home, but they need to prove that they get to the QB, AND perform other roles in this defense well also. So far they've done neither. But, it was always clear that the NFL did not rate their ability as pure pass rushers, which is why they were available at the price they commanded. Either they prove to be versatile defenders, or they're short term Dolphins.
5. Our DL is not good enough.
Christian Wilkins is starting to blossom, and I have hope he can be part of the solution. After that we have nothing but role players. Most NFL teams invest heavily along their DL these days, and our role players need to be just that ... role players, not starters. We need at least 1 more cornerstone DL to pair with Wilkins. If/when we draft pass rushers, don't be surprised if one is a DL who can flex inside and outside, and another is an edge guy who can flex DE and OLB. We need those players to generate a pass rush and utilize our investments at DB.
6. We still have one of the worst LB corps in the league.
Our LB corps is improved. While the Patriots may have Kyle Van Noy's number and know exactly how to neutralize him ... I'm confident that he will prove a major asset for the rest of the year. Baker seems to have made some significant strides, although he still needs to master his playbook and learn his run fits. Those two things alone make our LB corps better, but it still is not enough. It seems clear that swapping Raekwon McMillan for Elandon Roberts simply traded a pass coverage weakness for a run stopping weakness ... so we still do not have the answer there. It will be interesting to see how that develops over the course of this season.
7. If we lose the trenches we lose the game.
Improvement is not always a satisfying process, but we saw some pass pro improvement along our rebuilt OL. Our rebuilt defensive front 6 looks quite shaky with less improvement, but it did show some improvement. If any coaching staff knows how to attack the Patriots defense ... it's Belichick and the Patriots, so let's not jump to conclusions too quickly. This season is NOT about going to the Super Bowl. This season is NOT about going to the playoffs. This season is about building up our base, developing new players, and providing a platform for our new young QB to learn and develop for a 15+ year career as the starting Miami Dolphins QB. So, let's keep our eyes on the ball, and focus on improving in those trenches. I firmly believe we will draft a pass rusher or two very high in the 2021 draft. That should help shore up our defensive woes. And, by 2021, I think our OL will have settled.
Coach Flo's work is best viewed through the lens of the long-term. It's less about wins today and more about building for wins tomorrow. We had a plan, and so far we're following it and it is mostly playing out as we planned. We got Tua, we got young OL, we got elite CB's, we even got a young WR and several young TE's for Tua. We added veteran leaders/teachers/role-models for hte locker room like Fitz, Karras, Rowe, Van Noy and Roberts. Things are headed in the right direction. Let's not get derailed by a speeding hype-train that overestimates our timetables.