Possible reason for the lack of Defensive picks?

[rymflaherty]

For those that are disappointed in the Dolphins draft, it seems that one of the most common complaints is that they did not adequately address the Defensive side of the ball.
Thinking about that today, I came up with a possible explanation and I haven't really seen it mentioned, so I figured it was worth throwing out there for discussion...

Facts: There likely isn't anyone here who thought Kevin Coyle was a great Defensive Coordinator with a successful scheme that correctly utilized the talents of those at his disposal.
Not many where shocked when this Defensive got off to a poor start last year under Coyle's "leadership".
Coyle was fired and replaced in-season by the asst. defensive backs coach.
Multiple sources indicated that the Dolphins finished the season playing the most simplistic/vanilla Defensive scheme in the NFL.


With that being the set of circumstances from last year, could it be that Gase and Joseph have come in and see last year's Defensive struggles as more of a coaching issue and less of a talent issue?
If that is the case, it then makes sense that they saw addressing the Defensive side of the ball in the draft less of a priority as many here did. Especially when you consider that they addressed that side of the ball pre-draft with Maxwell, Alonso, Williams and the Safety (his name escapes me at the moment).

Now having typed all that, I'm personally not even sure which side I'd take on this, but I'm someone that likes to think of every possible angle and have realized the answers usually aren't found in the obvious, so when connecting the dots this was something that I thought was worth thinking about.
Since I am comfortable in saying that I don't think Coyle put players in the best possible position to succeed, so it certainly does seem possible that the new staff may be far more comfortable with the current Defensive roster than the users on this site are...In which case the Draft wasn't some failure on their part, but a representation of how they view the roster and the dissonance stems from that view not matching what many here might have assumed.

 

[LikeUntoGod]

We were 30th (almost last) in a number of important areas on the Offensive side. Did you watch any games last season?

Was the problem the overpaid defense? NO, it was the fact that our offense kept going 3 and out over and over again.

We were not outscored, we could NOT score. We were 30th in making 3rd downs and 30th in time of possession and scoring etc etc.

 

[DuderinoN703]

I have to think it was intentional. What they expect to do with the defense is anyone's guess but I have to trust Gase until I can't trust him anymore.

 

[Sons Of Shula]

The Dolphins FO thought they were filling out a fantasy football roster. :idk:

 

[uk_dolfan]

FO seems to want to fix the O this year and the even worse D next year

 

[AJ Duhe]

I'm not sure what to think anymore. I think the needs on the offensive side of the ball trumped the defensive personnel needs because Gase wants to run a special brand of offense that requires unique versatility. I think that's why you saw the unexpected picks of 2 receivers with different skill sets and a tight end who is more of a hybrid than a classic tight end.

As far as the defense goes, I think we might be in for a couple of surprises. I think Joseph likes one or two of the undrafted linebackers from last year, and expects them to contribute more. I think he like Jelani Jenkins more than most fans, and so do I. I also think one of the projects at CB is going to pan out...Lippet in particular has the physical makeup to be effective if he can get his technique down.

I personally wanted a DE pick in the first 2 days and another DT project, but I'm generally happy with what we did.

 

[SCall13]

It's one thing to focus mostly on one side of the ball. It's another to almost completely IGNORE one side of the ball. While I understand that all of our issues can't be fixed in one off-season, I'm perplexed with a lot of the picks we made and, even more so, what we gave up to get the picks we made.

 

[Sons Of Shula]

We were 30th (almost last) in a number of important areas on the Offensive side. Did you watch any games last season?

Was the problem the overpaid defense? NO, it was the fact that our offense kept going 3 and out over and over again.

We were not outscored, we could NOT score. We were 30th in making 3rd downs and 30th in time of possession and scoring etc etc.

Offense can be manufactured thru system and scheme, especially in today's NFL with the favorable offensive rules. Defense conversely is run on simpler schemes and must be built with talent - preferably thru the draft.

Lazor did the Dolphins no favors with his simplistic and tendency-ridden system. That was the primary factor for the lackluster offense that occurred last season.

At this point in time if you want a coach comparison, Gase may be closer to a Rex Ryan than a Belichick, in that his focus appears to be greatly lopsided in favor of one phase of the game. Time will tell, but it's hard to provide a solid counterpoint to suggest otherwise taking into account his apparent influence with the draft that Dolphins just put together in tying a franchise record of 6 offensive players chosen.

 

[NorFlaFin]

might want to look at the contract length of the DE on the roster. Really needed a developmental DE after cutting not resigning anybody

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[rickd13]

I think it is obvious what they are trying to do. I think they are trying to give Gase as complete an offense as they can so he can implement it with a bunch of young players growing together. Offenses need time in one system for as long as possible in order for them to reach their full potential. I think they want to get the offense established as soon as possible so it has time to blossom.

Defense can be turned around much quicker. Free agents from other teams can usually adapt to a new team easier than offensive players. But there is no doubt that this defense is lacking talent in some areas (corner and linebacker) and depth across the board and needs to be addressed, but I think we are going to have to wait until next year's free agency period and draft.

 

[rickd13]

Offense can be manufactured thru system and scheme, especially in today's NFL with the favorable offensive rules. Defense conversely is run on simpler schemes and must be built with talent - preferably thru the draft.

Lazor did the Dolphins no favors with his simplistic and tendency-ridden system. That was the primary factor for the lackluster offense that occurred last season.

At this point in time if you want a coach comparison, Gase may be closer to a Rex Ryan than a Belichick, in that his focus appears to be greatly lopsided in favor of one phase of the game. Time will tell, but it's hard to provide a solid counterpoint to suggest otherwise taking into account his apparent influence with the draft that Dolphins just put together in tying a franchise record of 6 offensive players chosen.

I totally agree with you about defense being talent driven, but I also think it is important for an offensive to have continuity. I think it is vital for the offense to be acclimated to a new system as soon as possible for it to grow and flourish. I love that the offense now has an abundance of talent and youth growing together under the influence of a young innovative head coach.

 

[Tiger]

We added Kiko Alonso, Byron Maxwell, Mario Williams, Andre Branch, Issa-Abdul Quddus, Chris Jones, Xavien Howard, Jordan Lucas, ( not to mention the UDFA's). I think we've added significant players on both sides of the ball, time will tell, but I don't think we've neglected the defense.

 

[Kadiddlehopper]

]I think it is obvious what they are trying to do. I think they are trying to give Gase as complete an offense as they can so he can implement it with a bunch of young players growing together. Offenses need time in one system for as long as possible in order for them to reach their full potential. I think they want to get the offense established as soon as possible so it has time to blossom.[/I]

Defense can be turned around much quicker. Free agents from other teams can usually adapt to a new team easier than offensive players. But there is no doubt that this defense is lacking talent in some areas (corner and linebacker) and depth across the board and needs to be addressed, but I think we are going to have to wait until next year's free agency period and draft.

Bingo. Gase was given 3 years to turn it around. If he's going to do that, better start by being able to score consistently. Defense comes in second until that ability is there.

 

[pmj]

I think it is obvious what they are trying to do. I think they are trying to give Gase as complete an offense as they can so he can implement it with a bunch of young players growing together. Offenses need time in one system for as long as possible in order for them to reach their full potential. I think they want to get the offense established as soon as possible so it has time to blossom.

Defense can be turned around much quicker. Free agents from other teams can usually adapt to a new team easier than offensive players. But there is no doubt that this defense is lacking talent in some areas (corner and linebacker) and depth across the board and needs to be addressed, but I think we are going to have to wait until next year's free agency period and draft.

Agreed. You have youngsters ready to step in for Albert, Stills, added another RB & TE. In my mind they are thinking the O is set even if lose people. D may surprise people just by having a good bit of different players and coaching. Would obviously feel better adding someone like Leon Hall. If the D can be more of a playmaking, turnover causing D, even if the total numbers are average, and the O can take advantage, the team should be much better to be honest.

 

[Birdmond]

We added Kiko Alonso, Byron Maxwell, Mario Williams, Andre Branch, Issa-Abdul Quddus, Chris Jones, Xavien Howard, Jordan Lucas, ( not to mention the UDFA's). I think we've added significant players on both sides of the ball, time will tell, but I don't think we've neglected the defense.

Get that common sense BS out of here!