Exploring the Miami Dolphins’ inside linebacker options and who makes sense for the team
By parting ways with pricey Kyle Van Noy, the Dolphins have created a void that otherwise didn’t necessarily need to be filled: the inside linebacker spot next to Jerome Baker.
Miami had Elandon Roberts fill that role last season; he started 11 games before sustaining a serious knee injury in the Week 16 game against Las Vegas. His agent has declined to say whether the unrestricted free agent will be ready for the 2021 season. So assuming Roberts will be healthy would be risky.
If the Dolphins hadn’t sent away Van Noy, they could have seamlessly moved him from outside linebacker to inside linebacker. He has experience playing both.
But Miami wanted the extra cap space, and now that need must be filled.
The Dolphins ultimately could find a starting inside linebacker in the draft — with Notre Dame’s Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah (linked to Miami at No. 18), Tulsa’s Zaven Collins (can play inside or outside and a option at 18) and North Carolina’s Chazz Surratt and Alabama’s Dylan Moses among other appealing possibilities.
But the Dolphins also need to sign at least one inside linebacker with NFL starting experience.
Kamu Grugier-Hill, an impending unrestricted free agent, would be an internal option but his playing time decreased as last season well along. He started one game but played just 207 snaps.
A look at who’s available to potentially fill that role, with Buffalo’s Matt Milano coming off the market Thursday when he re-signed with the Bills:
▪ Indianapolis inside linebacker Anthony Walker: The Miami native started 16 games for the Colts last season and had 92 tackles, an interception and no sacks. Pro Football Focus rated him 69th of 83 linebackers.
The 230-pound former Miami Pace and Northwestern University standout would be a decent option to pair with Baker. And he’s young, at 25, with potentially more room for growth.
▪ Seattle linebacker KJ Wright: Was PFF’s seventh best linebacker last season but his age (32 in July) could translate to making less money than the stats warrant. He had 86 tackles and two sacks last season and would be an interesting strongside linebacker option for Miami. But it’s important to note that the Dolphins have avoided 30-plus free agents aside from Ryan Fitzpatrick.
▪ Chargers linebacker Denzel Perryman: He played just 317 snaps last season and is strong against the run. The Dolphins showed what they think of two-down linebackers when they traded Raekwon McMillan last August.
But the Dolphins need an inside linebacker to pair with Baker and Perryman — who grew up in Miami and attended UM — warrants consideration for a Dolphins team that was tied for 17th in yards allowed per rushing attempt (4.5).
And according to a source, the Dolphins have at least some interest in Perryman, but it’s unclear how much.
▪ Tennessee inside linebacker Jayon Brown: Like Milano, he’s strong in coverage but not great against the run. PFF rates him 20th among all linebackers and he should get a decent contract.
But at 226 pounds, he’s a bit lighter than the prototype at that position. (Roberts is 238.) Brown had 76 tackles in nine starts.
▪ The Jets’ Neville Hewitt. The former Dolphin had 134 tackles — including six for loss — in 16 starts for the Jets, and his improvement as an undrafted free agent has been admirable and impressive.
PFF rated him 31st among all linebackers last season, five spots behind Van Noy and six spots ahead of Baker.
▪ Former Saints linebacker Kwon Alexander: The 6-1, 227-pound veteran started five games for the 49ers and seven for the Saints last season, producing 57 tackles and a sack before tearing an Achilles in Week 16.
He’s only 26 and has started all 66 games in which he has appeared in the NFL. But he has missed 26 games over the past four seasons.
▪ Cleveland’s BJ Goodson: PFF’s 24th ranked linebacker is better against the run than the pass. At 6-1 and 241 pounds, he fits the size prototype.
He started 14 games last season and had 91 tackles, and PFF ranked him a surprisingly strong 21st last season. But he has just one sack in five seasons. He’s a serviceable option to pair with Baker.
▪ Washington inside linebacker Kevin Pierre-Louis: He started 11 games for Washington last season and had 56 tackles and a sack. He’s better in coverage than against the run and has special teams value.
PFF ranked him 14th among all linebackers last season. He would be an interesting option.
▪ Pittsburgh’s Avery Williamson: He had 111 tackles in 15 games, including 10 starts for the Jets and Steelers last season, but he’s poor in pass coverage. He earned $7.5 million last season but should potentially come cheaper than that.
PFF ranked him 51st among 83 qualifying linebackers.
▪ Green Bay linebacker Christian Kirksey: He can play inside or outside and had 77 tackles, two interceptions and two sacks in 11 games (all starts) for Green Bay.
He earned $6.5 million last season, but he was released by the Browns and Packers over the past two offseasons. And he missed time with injuries the past two seasons. PFF ranked him 61st of 83 qualifying linebackers last season.
▪ Jets inside linebacker Patrick Onwuasor: Started 31 games for the Ravens between 2017 and 2019 and was productive (including 9.5 sacks) but spent all but one game on injured reserve last season. Worth considering if Dolphins believe he can return to 2019 form.
▪ Minnesota inside linebacker Todd Davis: Started 59 games for Denver over four years but played in 11 games with six starts for Minnesota last season, missing time on the COVID-19 list.
With the drop in playing time and the COVID absence, he plunged from 134 tackles with Denver in 2019 to 35 last season. But he’s only 28 and like Onwuasor, he’s worth considering if Dolphins believe he can return to 2019 production.
▪ Other potentially cheap inside linebacker options: Cincinnati’s Josh Bynes (99 tackles in 16 starts last season but age 31; PFF’s 50th best linebacker last season); the Lions’ Jarrad Davis (has gone from starter in Detroit to starting only four of 14 games last season); the Giants’ David Mayo (started only two games last season after starting 11 the year before); Kamalei Correa (nine tackles in six starts for Jacksonville last season); Dallas’ Joe Thomas (48 tackles in 15 games and four starts);
Tampa Bay’s Kevin Minter (15 tackles and one start for Tampa last season), Will Compton (journeyman who made one start for Tennessee last season); Detroit’s Reggie Ragland (52 tackles in 16 games and six starts last season and only 27; PFF ranked him 63rd of 83); Carolina’s Adarius Taylor (made two starts last season); Joe Walker (started 11 games for Arizona in 2019, none for San Francisco last season); James Burgess (went from 10 starts with Jets in 2019 to noe with Packers last season); Tahir Whitehead (former Lions starter) and Nick Vigil (former Bengals starter).
And there’s 2017 first-rounder Reuben Foster, who has started all 16 NFL games in which he has appeared (for the 49ers) but has missed time due to NFL suspension and domestic violence charges. He didn’t play last season because of injury and I would be surprised if Miami pursued him.
NEWS NOTE
We’ve been told the Dolphins have been doing due diligence on several of the top wide receivers in this class, trying to get a read on their backgrounds and gain intel on their futures within NFL rules. (Two agents said the Dolphins are good about following rules, better than most.)
They’ve done work on both Detroit receivers (Kenny Golladay and Marvin Jones), among others. Those two — along with Ju-Ju Smith Schuster, Will Fuller, Corey Davis, John Brown, Nelson Agholor and Curtis Samuel — are all in play.
One key Dolphins front office person has advocated the pursued of a pricey free agent receiver, but this person doesn’t make the final call and at the moment, the Dolphins have the cap space ($33 million) to make only one pricey pickup and a few lower-priced ones.
Miami can clear out space with cuts or restructures, but none of those had happened as of Thursday afternoon.
Teams can begin speaking to other teams’ free agents at noon on Monday and can sign outside free agents beginning at 4 p.m Wednesday.
Here’s my Thursday piece on New England Patriots players of interest to the Dolphins.
Here’s my Thursday piece with lots of media notes, including looming NFL changes.
This story was originally published March 11, 2021 at 5:25 PM.
