In camp, Miami’s defensive line is no joke
Despite losing Suh, Dolphins expect more pressures, sacks this season.
The loss of Ndamukong Suh has not prevented the Dolphins from building an impressive group of pressure-bringers that could be dominant.
DAVIE — Cam Wake was sitting in the team auditorium, watching Miami Dolphins coach Adam Gase’s training camp news conference Monday.
Someone asked Gase if offensive players take a cue from him and trash talk defensive players, especially on an intense full-pads day like this.
“No,” Wake interjected. “They know better.”
There was laughter. But through five days of Dolphins training camp, this is clear: Wake and Miami’s defensive line are no joke. In fact, they may very well be a dominant force in the league.
“They’re attacking,” Gase said. “There’s great penetration . ... The get-off is remarkable.”
Despite the loss of Ndamukong Suh, Miami fully expects more pressures and more sacks this season.
The Dolphins added explosive defensive end Robert Quinn and veteran defensive tackle Akeem Spence and re-signed defensive tackle/end William Hayes.
The projected starters are Wake, Quinn, Spence and Jordan Phillips, who seems motivated in a contract year.
The second unit may feature Andre Branch, second-year man Davon Godchaux, the underrated Hayes or Vincent Taylor and an improved Charles Harris.
On paper, it’s an embarrassment of defensive-line riches.
On the field so far, it’s a joy for defensive coordinator Matt Burke to watch.
In any and all types of drills (and to be fair, many of them are designed in such a way that Miami’s offensive linemen are at a disadvantage), Dolphins defen-
sive linemen are running around and through the line of scrimmage.
“When you put the pads on, this is football,” Wake said Monday. “You play in pads and you can’t hide. I don’t care if it’s running backs, linebackers, DBs. At some point, you’re going to be exposed if you’re that kind of guy. I look in our room and I see guys who, they’re that kind of guy who has the mentality to go in there and throw their nose in the fire.”
Wake really likes the players in the defensive-line room. Wake said this group must work together, while declining to expand upon if that happened last season.
“There are no sheep in that room,” Wake said.
It can be argued that Miami’s defensive lineman dominating some drills is as exciting as it is alarming. After all, Miami’s offensive line can often seem the culprit. But this really seems to be more about Miami’s defensive line practicing angrier and more aggressively under first-year coach Kris Kocurek.
“Coach Kocurek is very adamant about getting to the quarterback, and I think we can go out there every day trying to make sure we live up to his standard,” Wake said. “He’s a guy that’s old school, hard-nosed. He’s demanding. He doesn’t bite his tongue. He tells you how it is. As a man, you’ve got to be able to take it. I’d rather hear the truth.”
The truth is, Miami’s defensive line has been highly paid and has underachieved over the last few seasons.
Gase seems convinced this season will be different.
“Kris has done a really good job of getting those guys ... to just bring it,” Gase said. “How they pursue the ball, get back to the line of scrimmage, go to the next play. There’s a lot of energy exerted on one play and they just move on to the next one. He has developed those guys. That’s a tough group. They’re really trending in the right direction.”