The buzz on what the Miami Dolphins are getting with some key defensive additions
Over a 6-part series, we’re assessing what the Dolphins have landed so far in free agency and via the trade market.
Here’s part 1 on linebacker Benardrick McKinney, part 2 on four offensive additions (Jacoby Brissett, Malcolm Brown, Robert Foster and Cethan Carter) and part 3 on new center Matt Skura.
Today, in part 4, a look at two veteran defensive additions poised to compete for significant playing time, and Miami’s new punter:
DEFENSIVE TACKLE ADAM BUTLER
The contract: Two year deal worth $7.5 million, with playing time incentives that can bring the total value to $9.5 million. Of that amount, $5.25 million is guaranteed.
The metrics: The 6-5, 300-pound tackle can play all over the defensive line and has been consistently productive. Since 2017, Butler has appeared in 70 of a possible 71 games for the Patriots and produced 17 sacks, 88 quarterback pressures, 103 tackles and 23 tackles for loss.
Last season, he had 34 tackles (six for loss) and four sacks in 15 games and four starts, despite playing with a nagging shoulder injury. His 27 total pressures tied for 33rd among interior defensive players.
And he put up those numbers despite starting only 12 games over those four seasons, including four last season and none in 2018, when Brian Flores served as New England’s de facto defensive coordinator.
As Pro Football Focus’ Ryan Smith noted, Butler has 107 quarterback pressures over the past four years compared to 48 for Davon Godchaux, who left Miami for New England.
The flip side: Godchaux has better metrics against the run. PFF ranked Butler only 104th of 125 interior defenders last season, largely because the web site rated him 99th of 125 against the run.
PFF evaluated the signing this way: “The latest in a series of swaps between the [Bill] Belichick coaching tree, Butler has been a pass-rushing specialist since landing in New England as an undrafted free agent back in 2017. While he has yet to clear 30 pressures in a season in that role, he has gradually improved his PFF pass-rushing grade each year — from 57.1 as a rookie to 64.3 this past season with the Patriots. He played a big role in many of the stunts that New England runs defensively.
“Butler pairs that middling yet improving play as a pass rusher with less-than-ideal results against the run. His 49.3 run-defense grade in 2020 was a career-low, and he’s never graded above 60.5 in that regard.
“With the loss of Davon Godchaux to New England, it makes sense that Brian Flores and company were looking to bring in another defender who could play nose tackle at a slightly cheaper price point. The hope for Miami is that Butler continues to develop heading into his fifth NFL season.”
The view here: Good signing. Butler has the versatility to play any position on the line, and a top five defensive line rotation of Christian Wilkins, Raekwon Davis, Emmanuel Ogbah, Zach Seiler and Butler will be strong enough if (big if) Wilkins and Davis take another step and Ogbah can replicate his nine-sack season. If Lawrence Guy signs, the unit would be even better and Ogbah could take on more of an outside linebacker role, as an edge player.
Quotable: Belichick, two years ago: “Adam works hard. He’s a good player. He’s a versatile guy. He does a lot of different things for us. Plays on the nose, plays on the guard, can play on the tackle, plays on the punt-return team.
“Whatever we ask him to do in a particular week for the game plan, whatever the role is, he’s a very adaptable, versatile player that has, I’d say, multiple skills. He’s got length. He’s got some quickness. He can play inside to outside and he’s a smart player that can handle a lot of different assignments. He’s a guy that’s a movable part for us.”
CORNERBACK JUSTIN COLEMAN
The contract: One year for $2.75 million.
The metrics: The Lions lured him from Seattle in spring 2019 with a four-year, $36 million contract, but he was cut earlier this month, two years into the deal.
Here’s the good news: When playing in the slot over his career, Coleman has a strong 86.1 passer rating against in his coverage area (161 completions in 249 attempts for 1239 yards, 12 TDs and 4 interceptions).
Here’s the bad news: His numbers with the Lions last season weren’t anything close to that. Coleman permitted 33 of 40 passes to be caught against him for 365 yards, four touchdowns and no interceptions. That equals a 138 passer rating in his coverage area, worst among all slot corners who defended at least 40 passes in the slot.
Dolphins incumbent slot cornerback Nik Needham’s 2020 slot numbers, by comparison, were much better: Needham allowed 42 for 60 passes to be caught last season for 475 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions, equaling a 90.6 passer rating. Both touchdowns came in the finale against Buffalo.
PFF ranked Coleman just 111th of 121 cornerbacks last season, penalizing him not only for his poor coverage but also for subpar run defense (104th of 121 corners).
Coleman was better in 2019, producing 13 pass breakups and three forced fumbles and playing a team-high 963 snaps. But he was targeted 112 times that season, the second-most in the NFL behind only Tennessee’s Logan Ryan, and relinquished 71 receptions for 869 yards and eight touchdowns. (Ryan is now with the Giants.)
Coleman also missed 17 tackles over the past two seasons.
PFF expressed concern that “Coleman has endured the worst seasons of his career in defensive systems from this same coaching tree” -- in other words, ex-Lions coach Matt Patricia.
The view here: There’s familiarity here - Coleman was around Flores in New England in 2015 and 2016 - but this is a somewhat mystifying signing because of his subpar play last season.
If Coleman plays like he did for Seattle in 2017 and 2018 (when he had two interception returns for touchdowns), he’s a potential upgrade over Needham. But if Coleman plays like he did last year, Needham is the better player.
Those two and perhaps Noah Igbinoghene will compete for the slot corner job. If Coleman wins it, Needham and Igbinoghene can compete weekly for the top backup boundary job between Xavien Howard and Byron Jones. At 5-10, Coleman is better suited in the slot, though he also can play on the boundary.
Quotable: Seattle coach Pete Carroll, during his Seahawks tenure, on Coleman: “He’s really versatile. He’s a really active cover guy in all kinds of nickel situations, not just inside but outside as well. [The Patriots] moved him around a great deal. We’ve seen him play a ton of man-to-man. He’s a really good matchup guy. He covers big guys, he covers small guys. They put him on all kinds of matchups, so we had a really good evaluation of him.”
PUNTER MICHAEL PALARDY
The contract: One year for $1.4 million, with $200,000 guaranteed and $200,000 if he makes the Pro Bowl.
The metrics: Averaged 45.3 yards on 243 career punts. That’s on par with Matt Haack’s career 44.7 average; Haack left for Buffalo after Miami signed Palardy.
Palardy missed last season after suffering a torn ACL in the summer. In 2019, he was 13th in punting average and 28th in net average. He placed 25 punts inside the 20, which was tied for 17th.
From 2017 to 2019, Palardy has a net average of 40.7 yards per punt, which is 14th in the league. At his best, he’s a top-12-to-15 NFL punter.
The view here: Palardy, who attended St. Thomas Aquinas in Ft. Lauderdale, was viewed as a cheaper alternative to Haack, who signed for three years and $7.5 million. Miami had interest in bringing back Haack but decided on the less expensive alternative days before the start of free agency. The question is how Palardy responds to a major knee injury to his kicking leg.
Here’s my Tuesday piece with lots of Heat trade nuggets.
Here’s my Tuesday 6-pack of Miami Hurricanes football notes.
This story was originally published March 23, 2021 at 8:47 PM.
