Can scheme overcome deficiencies?
DAVIE — The Miami Dolphins apparently don’t realize that the team has an edgesetting problem on defense, and has had one for a couple years now.
I realize the 2019 team begins the on-field portion of their organized team activity work this week, and reenforcements are coming from this year’s draftees, who just concluded rookie minicamp over the weekend.
It’s still early, but has coach Brian Flores and his staff not seen the game film from last season, when the Dolphins were the secondworst team in 2018 when it came to stopping the run, allowing 2,325 rushing yards and 4.8 yards per carry?
Does Flores not remember that his former team’s game plan against Miami was to run the ball, pummeling Miami’s front with New England’s rushing attack, which gained 364 rushing yards and scored four rushing touchdowns in two games last season?
That wasn’t an accident. General manager Chris Grier, who is responsible for handing Flores a decent roster, has to know that following this offseason’s roster purge that got rid of four defensive ends, Miami’s best edge players are Charles Harris, a former first-round pick who has flirted with the bust label for two years, and Tank Carradine, an NFL journeyman who played in one game for the Oakland Raiders last season before requesting his release, which was granted. Dolphins coach Brian Flores and general manager Chris Grier walk off the field after rookie camp practice on Friday in Davie. They are hoping to get the Dolphins back on track.
Unless Miami plans to have some of their defensive tackles — Vincent Taylor, Davon Godchaux, Akeem Spence or Christian Wilkins, the team’s 2019 firstround pick — serve as threetechnique ends in a defensive front that features a group of 300-pounders on it, this aspect of roster management looks like a recipe destined for disaster.
That’s why adding an edge player like Allen Bailey, Muhammad Wilkerson, Nick Perry or Derrick Morgan, who are all free agents, would be ideal. Especially before injuries occur.
Flores plans to design a game plan around each opponent’s strengths and weaknesses. We’ve seen that from the Patriots for decades. And who doesn’t admire it?
But New England has the interchangeable pieces to make that approach work. The Dolphins have what exactly?
“I feel good about our end position,” Flores said recently. “I think Charles specifically, he’s a young player. He’s got a lot of ability. He’s another guy that’s working extremely hard to learn the different facets of the defense. I think Tank has come in and done a good job. Wood (Jonathan Woodard) has come in and done a good job. We’ve got a lot of edge players, end-of-the line players, who are working, who I’m excited to work with.”
Who knows, maybe Harris can all of a sudden set the edge effectively, which is something he struggled doing his first two seasons. Maybe coaching fixes him.
Carradine, a former FSU standout selected in the second-round of the 2013 draft, could have a breakout season with the Dolphins, shedding the underachiever reputation that’s followed him throughout his NFL career.
Woodard, a former practice squader who played sparingly in six games last season, contributing 10 tackles and one sack, could take the next step as an NFL player.
And Taylor and/or Godchaux might make a successful transition to become 3-4 defensive ends. It’s a possibility considering their body types and styles.
But all of those are dream scenarios for the Dolphins coaches, who clearly think their scheme will cover up every player’s deficiencies.
Banking on these “possibles” and “maybes” is dangerous because if none of them pan out the team’s shortage of defensive ends could come back to haunt this defense, much like last season, when the defensive line’s struggles complicate things for everyone else.
Miami’s linebackers could yet again be forced to take on steady traffic from blocking guards and centers, which was a constant issue last season.
The safeties could make themselves susceptible to big plays by creeping up to support the run too much and failing to cover the back-end effectively, which happened a lot late last season.
The Dolphins cornerbacks would be forced to cover forever if the defensive front can’t get pressure on opposing quarterbacks on third downs, and that could lead to scramble-ball plays that produced chunk yardage and touchdowns.
I get it. Rome wasn’t built in a day. And neither were the Patriots. But this is simple roster management issue that could be fixed with a veteran addition, similar to how Jordan Mills’ signing potentially patches up the vacant right tackle spot.
Miami doesn’t have a respectable defensive end on the roster, much less a contingency plan. And unlike last season, the Dolphins shouldn’t wait until the dam breaks before they try to patch the leaks up with unemployed veterans, waiver wire finds, and practice squad callups.