I think this defensive change will be a major one, and I think it will be a very good one. This is one of my biggest points of excitement for Coach Flores' impact on the Dolphins.
Becoming a multiple front team has a tremendous upside. It really helps us against the good OC's out there because we're a lot harder to scheme against and gives us the best shot in playoff games, IMHO. It is very demanding … but in all the right places. It requires DL who can play both fronts, edge rushers who can play with their hands in the dirt as 43 DE's and standing up and occasionally covering as 34 OLB's. Although, teams don't really play 7 man fronts nearly as much anymore, so we're probably better off just calling it a 4 man line or a 3 man line. Nickel is the new base, and Dime is becoming more and more common.
That's why I think our 1st round targets are primarily edge rushers who can play both a 4 man front (hand in the dirt as a DE) and a 3 man front (standing up as an OLB). Guys like Jachai Polite and Brian Burns look like good fits for us. Burns needs a year to gain muscle, but those guys can move around and are flexible enough to be a pass rushing threat from a number of spots, making them great for the multiple fronts.
As
@39wildman said, you can get a NT later in the draft, or in free agency. If we're playing multiple fronts, we're probably also going to cross-train the now big Davon Godchaux to fill the void as well. The Patriots defense wasn't dominant by personnel, and it wasn't the best of any type of front. But, it was effective at both 3 and 4 man fronts, and could morph into whatever form it needed to for the circumstance. That is very valuable.
If we're serious about tanking, what a better way to tank on defense than running a 3 man front without a real NT or any defense without pass rushers.