Exploring how Miami Dolphins have handled safety and what they’re getting in Elliott
Chatter on how the Dolphins have handled safety and tidbits on new addition DeShon Elliott in our latest piece with notes and metrics about key veteran free agent pickups:
▪ The Dolphins thought enough of Brandon Jones that they were never inclined to offer a sizable contract to Jordan Poyer or any other free agent safety.
Instead, they got Detroit’s Elliott on a one-year, $1.77 million deal, not surprising considering the safety market is saturated.
Elliott was limited throughout the offseason program because of a shoulder injury, according to a source. The expectation is that he should be fine for the season.
Though Elliott was part of a Lions secondary that permitted 4,179 passing yards (third most in the NFL), his metrics weren’t bad at all.
Pro Football Focus ranked him 44th of 88 safeties last season, including 43rd against the run.
He yielded a 92.5 passer rating in his coverage area last season, compared to 118.5 for Eric Rowe, who wasn’t re-signed and is now in Carolina.
Elliott allowed 17 of 21 passes to be caught for 230 yards, a 13.5 average (too high). But he didn’t allow a touchdown and had one interception, which explains why his passer rating against was decent.
His passer rating against was 95.7 in 16 games for Baltimore, all starts, in 2020 and a sterling 47.9 (but on just 10 targets) in six games for the Ravens, all starts, in 2021, before a season-ending injury in the sixth game that year.
Elliott and Brandon Jones were former college teammates at Texas, and their battle for the starting job alongside Jevon Holland should be very competitive.
Jones ranks among the best blitzing safeties in football, a skill that seemingly isn’t as important in the transition from blitz-heavy Josh Boyer to more zone-heavy Vic Fangio. Jones had five sacks in 93 pass rushing chances last season.
But keep in mind that Jones’ coverage skills improved last season in seven games before his season-ending torn ACL.
In 2021, Jones permitted a 114.2 passer rating in his coverage area. Last season, it was 89.3, with 21 completions in 29 targets but no TDs and just an 8.9 yard average per reception.
There probably isn’t much of a disparity between Jones and Elliott in coverage skills, and both figure to get playing time.
Did defensive coordinator Vic Fangio tell Elliott if he would have a chance to start?
“Vic Fangio is a very intelligent football coach, a very intelligent DC.,” Elliott answered after signing.
“So, I’m sure he has his plans on what he wants to do with us. But, I mean, when I came in, I talked to him. I mean, I knew I was going to compete. It’s the NFL, we’ve all got to compete, and nothing is given to you. Nothing is going to be handed to you. So, I came here to compete. I know what I can bring to the table and I know how hard I’m going to work. So, the results will show.”
Safety Elijah Campbell’s skill set seems to fit this defense, and he could push for snaps. And head Mike McDaniel loves Verone McKinley’s “football acumen.”
At the very least, it’s a young safety room with upside.
THIS AND THAT
▪ Though his work was uneven in offseason practices open to reporters, one encouraging thing about new backup quarterback Mike White is that he played pretty well before his rib injuries against Buffalo. He tried to play through those rib injuries against the Bills and Seahawks but struggled.
“It was crazy,” he said. “At the time when it happened in Buffalo like yeah, it hurt but I kind of was just like ‘Alright, maybe I just bruised my rib or something or I’m just sore and it was cold out so that’s not helping.’ And then when I got the news that I broke five ribs or four ribs, whatever the number was, it was kind of like I didn’t believe it.
“I was like, it doesn’t hurt that bad and then a week, having to lay off for two weeks and a week of just not doing anything it got really tightened up and then trying to throw through it was really painful. Every throw hurt. I mean, I’m proud of it because I didn’t tap out and I proved to the guys that quarterbacks can be tough, too, and hopefully my toughness isn’t in question. But it was a good learning experience and if anything I’m just happy to prove that I’m not just one of those little... quarterbacks that people like to make fun of from time to time.”
▪ The Dolphins still have more than $12 million in cap space after signing Cam Smith to a four-year, $7.1 million deal on Tuesday.
They could use much of that space on Dalvin Cook and perhaps a veteran backup defensive tackle or carry over most of it to next offseason; they’re already more than $32 million over the 2024 cap, which will require hard decisions next offseason.
Here’s what the Dolphins are getting with cornerback Jalen Ramsey.
Here’s what the Dolphins are getting with linebacker David Long.
This story was originally published July 5, 2023 at 2:39 PM.
