Miami Dolphins sack leader Taco Charlton reacts to his benching. And what must change
The Miami Dolphins’ most productive pass rusher reacted to this past Sunday’s benching calmly and with a sense of determination, telling reporters Wednesday that being a healthy scratch against the Jets “made me hungry, to the point where I want to be a player that no matter what the game plan is, you can’t sit me.”
Defensive end Taco Charlton, whose five sacks in nine games lead the Dolphins, said he was told that the reason for his benching was the same one coach Brian Flores told reporters: It was strictly a game plan decision. He said he has no idea if he will play Sunday at the Giants.
“No discouragement at all,” Charlton said. “It pushes me to go even harder. They felt like this was the best decision for them to win that game. You’ve got to respect that and keep working.”
Defensive line coach Marion Hobby said last week that Charlton has “got to be more consistent” against the run. And that’s very likely the reason he didn’t play Sunday.
Charlton doesn’t play on special teams — he’s had just five special teams snaps all season — which leaves him more at risk of being inactive.
“Look, we’ve got to put seven guys down each week,” coach Brian Flores said Wednesday, speaking generally and not about Charlton, while noting general manager Chris Grier is involved with the coaching staff in those decisions.
“If you don’t have a role in the kicking game and you don’t have a big enough role offensively or defensively, then it’s hard to have that particular player at the game. If you’re a major contributor and you make plays every week, you’re going to be out there.”
Since being claimed by the Dolphins after Dallas released him two weeks into the season, the Cowboys’ former 28th overall pick in the 2017 draft has clearly demonstrated he can rush the quarterback.
But to be viewed as anything more than a specialist, Charlton must be part of the solution in defending the opponent’s running game. And his performance there hasn’t been good enough to help solve one of the Dolphins’ biggest weaknesses.
The Dolphins are allowing 141.1 rushing yards per game (tied for 30th in the league) and 4.6 per carry, which is 24th. This past Sunday without Charlton, Miami was better against the run, relinquishing 112 yards rushing and 3.5 per carry.
Pro Football Focus rates Charlton 105th as a run-blocker this season among 110 qualifying defensive ends, and 101st overall.
“It’s something I probably need to do a better job at in this scheme, but for me, it’s getting comfortable playing a different scheme,” Charlton said last week.
“I come from a scheme [in Dallas] where we would get off the ball and go. We stop the run on the way to the passer. That’s what I’ve been programmed on doing for 2 1/2 years. Sometimes I have to get out of that instinct of wanting to do that and settle down and set the edge how they do here.
“I’m still able to stop the run. It’s something I need to get used to more. Getting here late, I wasn’t able to get a full grasp of it. With a whole offseason here, it should be no problem.”
Hobby said “there’s times where you see him and go, ‘He finds a way to get his hands on the ball. But he’s just got to be more consistent. That’s not a glamour position. Too many times guys are judged on just sacks. What are they really doing to help their team win is what’s most important.”
Charlton, listed at 6-6 and 270 pounds, said getting bigger isn’t necessarily the answer in defending the run. Hobby agrees, noting: “He’s beautiful” the way he is.
Charlton makes clear that he wants to be a starting end, not merely viewed as a rotational pass rusher.
“That’s why I play this game to be the best player out there,” he said. “I want to be a well rounded player.”
Hobby said: “I don’t think any player wants to be labeled as a pass rusher. That hybrid pass rusher, that guy is basically – that’s for the older guys who’ve gotten old now.”
That said, Sunday demonstrated that Charlton’s pass rush skills won’t be enough to guarantee him playing time.
“I take pride on pass rushing; that’s what I do,” he said. “I spend a lot of my offseason training on it. I study players 24/7, study everything about it.
He said he frequently watches tape of several defensive ends: former teammate DeMarcus Ware, Kansas City’s Frank Clark, Minnesota’s Everson Griffin.
“Every Sunday, Thursday night games, I’m watching the d-line, o-line, seeing what they’re successful doing,” he said.
But whether he has a significant role here in 2020 - the final year of his contract - could hinge on how he handles his other main responsibility: stopping the run.
Here’s my Wednesday Dolphins piece on players reacting to a Patriots’ reporter speculating that Tom Brady could play for the Dolphins in 2020, the plan at cornerback and more.
This story was originally published December 11, 2019 at 4:45 PM.
