The Dolphins have lots of shortcomings, but this absolutely must be solved next spring
A six-pack of Dolphins notes on a Thursday:
▪ The Dolphins have a lot of problems, and here’s one that absolutely must be addressed this offseason: They need to add a couple of stout run defenders who can set the edge at defensive end and outside linebacker.
The deficiency in that area is one reason the Dolphins are second-worst in rush defense, allowing 148.3 yards per game on the ground and a bloated 4.7 yards per carry.
I asked coach Brian Flores if there’s a single player on his team who has consistently set the edge well on defense.
“Vince Biegel and Charles Harris have been more consistent,” Flores said. “With as many edge plays as there are in this league — crack plays, stretch plays, speed sweeps — its something you can be consistent for a while and all of a sudden you don’t have correct awareness on a crack play and then you’re inconsistent. It’s something we spend a lot of time on. It’s a big thing this week with these [Cleveland] backs. Hopefully, we can be consistent this week.”
Pro Football Focus rated 108 qualifying edge players in the area of run defense. Harris stands 80th, Biegel 89th, Taco Charlton 104th and Sam Eguavoen 106th.
Avery Moss and Trent Harris also would rank near the bottom among edge players in run defense, according to PFF’s grading system, if they had enough snaps to qualify.
Linebacker Raekwon McMillan played on the edge in Week 2 against New England — for the first time in his career — but said he hasn’t played much there since. He was a full participant in practice Thursday after missing last week’s game.
Run defense in the interior of the line also has been deficient at times.
So add these to the long list of offseason needs. For now, the Dolphins again risk being exposed on the edges this week by Browns running backs Kareem Hunt and Nick Chubb.
▪ The Dolphins believe undrafted Georgia rookie Jonathan Ledbetter has a chance to become a good edge defender. But Flores said the Dolphins decided to use their second and final return-from-IR designation on linebacker Andrew Van Ginkel — and not Ledbetter — because “we chose the guy we felt was healthiest.”
The other IR designation was used on offensive tackle Julien Davenport, who has been nursing a knee injury and wasn’t happy with his performance against Buffalo in his first game back from a September leg injury. “Poor performance,” he said. “I made a lot of mental mistakes.” He participated in practice fully on Thursday.
Ledbetter played in only one game — collecting four tackles and half a sack against Baltimore — before an ankle injury that ultimately ended his season.
▪ Van Ginkel, activated to the 53-man roster this week, said he’s being used primarily as a SAM linebacker.
“I’m excited to be back; it’s been too long,” he said, having healed from a foot injury that sidelined him since early August. “I have faith in what I am.”
Van Ginkel practiced fully Thursday, but three teammates remained limited: Charlton, cornerback Ken Webster and quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick, who has a right shoulder and right forearm injury. The Dolphins have said Fitzpatrick is starting Sunday.
▪ Besides Eric Rowe and Steven Parker and newcomer Adrian Colbert, the Dolphins also will look at using slot cornerback Jomal Wiltz in a safety role - an assignment he has handled briefly in recent weeks.
“Jomal is smart, he’s tough, he tackles,” Flores said. “He can communicate, is good for the players around him. He’s improved from training camp to preseason to how he’s played the last few weeks. We will need it especially with injuries we have.”
Safety Walt Aikens, Miami’s best special teams player, was asked if he has ever wondered what he has to do to get an opportunity on defense. He said he has, and he has politely lobbied for a role at times. Aikens has played just 69 snaps on defense this season.
▪ Receiver DeVante Parker, enjoying perhaps his best season as a Dolphin, said this is the longest stretch he has gone feeling healthy in his career. That, he said, “has made a big difference. People can see what you can do when you are fully healthy.”
And this, too, has made a difference: He said he’s watching more tape than ever to see nuances in defensive coverages, things he “might not have noticed in the past.” Receivers coach Karl Dorrell has done a good job with Parker in that and other areas, and Parker is appreciative. He said his “coverage recognition” has improved.
▪ Some background on why safeties Reshad Jones and Bobby McCain landed on injured reserve: A new injury for Jones was discovered by the team early this week; I have not been told the body part affected, but it was unrelated to the cracked rib that caused him to miss four games before returning for the Buffalo game. The injury was football-related, not sustained in non-football activity.
As for McCain, he re-aggravated the shoulder injury that had bothered him all season, and playing became too difficult.
Meanwhile, receiver Preston Williams — who sustained a torn ACL in the Nov. 3 Jets game — recently underwent successful surgery and has begun his rehab.
This story was originally published November 21, 2019 at 3:40 PM.
