How a 2015 Dolphins roster decision ultimately led to Emmanuel Ogbah’s career year
Call it the NFL’s version of the Butterfly Effect:
The Miami Dolphins — in choosing to low-ball Olivier Vernon when they could have signed him for relatively cheap, and then later refusing to pay him top dollar once his market exploded — set off a chain reaction that, five years later, resulted in Emmanuel Ogbah having the best season of his career ... for the Miami Dolphins.
Convoluted? Yes.
But also accurate.
Here’s how:
After contract extension talks went nowhere for the better part of a year, the Dolphins in early 2016 let Vernon, a homegrown pass rusher, walk in free agency despite four productive years in Miami. Vernon, who attended the University of Miami, signed a five-year, $85 million contract with the Giants instead.
That same offseason, the Browns selected Ogbah, a defensive end from Oklahoma State, with the 32nd pick.
Both were fine with their new teams — Vernon even went to the Pro Bowl in 2018 — but neither was spectacular.
So in early 2019, the Browns shook things up with two trades: One for Vernon in the Odell Beckham deal, and the other that sent Ogbah, who became expendable after recording 12 1/2 sacks in three seasons, to the Kansas City City Chiefs.
Ogbah won a Super Bowl ring in Kansas City, although he did not play in the title game. He spent the last half of the 2019 season on injured reserve with a torn pectoral muscle.
Still, his talent was evident. Yet his production and availability were spotty. The Dolphins believed Ogbah’s best football was still ahead of him and the fit was good in Miami, but only at the right price.
The two sides ultimately agreed to a two-year, $15 million contract — which Ogbah has already outplayed.
Through Week 10 of the NFL season, Ogbah ranks fourth in the NFL in sacks despite being just the league’s 25th highest-paid defensive end. He isn’t even Miami’s highest-paid pass rusher. That title belongs to Shaq Lawson, who, the same week Ogbah joined the Dolphins, signed a three-year deal that pays him $10 million annually.
But he’s more than just a sack artist. He’s also knocked down five passes, has forced three fumbles and has hit opposing quarterbacks 14 times. Put another way, he’s a wrecking ball.
“Every time you get drafted by a team, you want that team to be your home,” Ogbah said. “You want to stay with that team for life; but everything happens for a reason. It’s just been a journey. I’ve had my ups and downs. I’ve started hot and got [seasons cut] short to injuries, but I’ve been focusing this year and just staying healthy, taking care of my body, spending money on my body just to make sure I’m good to have a full season.”
That investment includes regular massages, cryotherapy, acupuncture and nutrition. The result? Nine out of nine games played this season, with Ogbah on the field for 76.5 percent of the Dolphins’ defensive snaps. That’s fifth-most on the team and, if it continues at this pace, would be the highest usage rate of his career.
What’s more, Ogbah has at least a half sack in each of the Dolphins’ last eight games, and would be on pace to appear in his first Pro Bowl, had the game not been canceled due to COVID-19.
Check out the 2020 sacks leaderboard, and his name appears with some of the best players in the league: Myles Garrett, Aaron Donald and T.J. Watt.
Ogbah insists he doesn’t pay attention to any of that, which is another reason he is a great fit in Brian Flores’ locker room.
“Watching him on film at Kansas City and Cleveland, you obviously liked some things that you saw there,” said Dolphins defensive coordinator Josh Boyer. “... I’m not sure how much different it is than years ago for him. He works hard, he works at his craft. He’s constantly trying to get better. Puts extra time at it. He’s had some production out on the field. There’s a lot of other things he does for us that probably doesn’t get noticed, but we’re going to continue try to improve that week by week.”
If so, the guy who has been on three different teams in three different seasons can finally think about putting down roots.
“I’m tired of moving,” Ogbah said. “I don’t want to move no more. So God willing, if it be Miami, then I’ll be thankful for it. I’ll be happy for it.”
