How the Dolphins’ defense can return to glory in just one offseason.
After two solid defensive seasons in 2020 and 2021, it seemed like the wheels fell off the unit in 2022. It was in part due to injuries, but there were also fairly obvious coaching blunders throughout the season.
The front office made the decision to fire Josh Boyer and bring in renowned defensive genius Vic Fangio to coach up the unit. With a completely new system incoming, the defense will have to undergo something of a transformation to ensure the players on the field will be able to do the scheme justice.
The Dolphins may be able to make a splash or two when free agency opens, but the team will likely scour the second wave of free agency for good deals as well.
If there’s anything we’ve learned from Mike McDaniel’s first year coaching, it’s that relationships are deeply important to him. The team will look first toward players that coaches trust before exploring the unknown. That’s why last season we saw the team bring in several offensive players that McDaniel was familiar with from his time in San Francisco.
The newly minted defensive coordinator appears to be no different. Fangio's already brought in two coaches to handle specific sub-groups of the defense that he has worked with in the past: new passing game coordinator Renaldo Hill worked with Fangio in Denver and gave up a defensive coordinator position to join the party in south Florida; and new safeties coach Joe Kasper presumably worked alongside Fangio at times last season while on Philadelphia’s defensive staff.
Using relationship threads, we can piece together a sprawling web of potential targets that the team could pursue to fill out the defense with veteran players that are already familiar with Fangio’s scheme.
Here's a position-by-position breakdown of what the defense could realistically look like next year:
*Players listed in bold below are those not currently under contract with Miami [free agent signings, re-signings, draft picks, etc]
Defensive Line:
Possibly the strongest unit on the defense, the Dolphins will likely bring back a very similar grouping of players on the defensive line next season.
Christian Wilkins showed game after game that he was blossoming into an elite lineman and, statistically speaking, was one of the bigger defensive snubs from last season’s Pro Bowl event. Zach Seiler also proved his worth, and both of these players should be rewarded with bigger contracts in the near future.
Emmanuel Ogbah and Raekwon Davis both had disappointing 2022’s, but both on paper would seem to fit well in Fangio’s 3-4 scheme.
To supplement that core, Fangio could look to bring in familiar faces such as free agents Akiem Hicks or Eddie Goldman. DE Dre’Mont Jones, who was drafted by Fangio in Denver, figures to be too pricey.
Another option that could be available if he were to get cut by Denver is Mike Purcell. The Broncos could save nearly all of his $3.8 million cap hit if they release their backup nose tackle. Purcell played in Fangio’s system from 2019 to 2021.
John Jenkins’ play has been satisfactory the last few seasons, and he could return to fill out the nose tackle rotation. The team could also look to the draft for D-line depth.
This one may be too deep in the weeds of drawing relationship connections, but new defensive line assistant Kenny Baker previously worked as the D-line coach at Western Kentucky University. Over the last few years there, he coached draft entrant Brodric Martin, a 6’5, 337 pound defensive tackle, that has already reportedly met with Miami’s coaches. If Martin’s former collegiate coach thinks highly of him, he could be an option on day three.
Projected position group:
DE: Christian Wilkins, Akiem Hicks
NT: Raekwon Davis, Mike Purcell, Brodric Martin
DE: Emmanuel Ogbah, Zach Seiler
Linebacker:
Here’s where we could see the Dolphins make waves.
Fangio may view inside linebacker as a crucial position in the new defensive system, making it imperative they have the right pedigree of player in that role.
Bringing in a quality coverage linebacker – like the Bills’ Tremaine Edmunds, Eagles’ TJ Edwards, Rams’ Bobby Wagner, or Buccaneers’ Lavonte David – would help get the most out of Fangio’s defense. Both Edmunds and Edwards have an estimated market value of around $11 million per Spotrac, but will likely command more on the open market. Wagner and David would be more cost-effective due to their advanced ages. This sort of upgrade would simultaneously make incumbent starter Jerome Baker expendable due to his price tag.
As mentioned in part one, Baker could be shipped out of town after June 1st to the tune of $9 million in cap savings. Those savings alone would make up a majority of his replacement’s salary.
With a stud linebacker in tow, the Dolphins could look to re-sign one or both of Elandon Roberts and Duke Riley to fill in the other starting spot or add depth at the position for cheap.
This could also be a spot Miami makes a point of addressing in the draft. Jack Campbell out of Iowa, Trenton Simpson out of Clemson, DeMarvion Overshown out of Texas, Henry To’oTo’o out of Alabama, and Noah Sewell out of Oregon are all potential plug-and-play inside linebackers that should be available on day two of the draft.
Channing Tindall also remains on the roster after a forgettable rookie season. Tindall barely saw the field in his first year, but he has the physical tools to develop into a solid rotation linebacker if given the opportunity.
Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb have the edge/outside linebacker positions on lockdown for the foreseeable future in Miami. Edge rusher Melvin Ingram showed that his injury history was a thing of the past, and he could be brought back as a compliment to those starting ahead of him.
The team could add veteran depth at linebacker via the free agent market. Names to watch include Malik Reed, Kyle Van Noy and Danny Trevathan.
Projected position group:
OLB: Jaelan Phillips, Melvin Ingram
ILB: Tremaine Edmunds, DeMarvion Overshown
ILB: Elandon Roberts, Channing Tindall
OLB: Bradley Chubb, Malik Reed
Defensive Backs:
The secondary position group could be the most intriguing unit on Miami’s defense.
2020’s big free agent signing Byron Jones will not be on the team next season. The team cut him using a June 1 designation, meaning the team will save nearly $14 million this offseason.
There are several quality veterans set to hit free agency that could fill the gap left by Jones. While fans may pray for Jamel Dean or James Bradberry, they'd both come with hefty contract demands as well as several other suitors around the league. With glaring holes elsewhere on the roster, this could be a spot Miami chooses to plug with an steady, cheaper option. Cameron Sutton, Patrick Peterson and Marcus Peters are experienced players that would fit in well opposite of Howard.
There are also a handful of players best-suited for depth roles that would come already pre-loaded with experience playing under Fangio: Bryce Callahan, Kyle Fuller, Chris Harris Jr., A.J. Bouye and Prince Amukamara will all be available at bargain basement prices. This bunch is well-past their primes, but would all likely be able to step into a starting/leadership role if needed.
Nik Needham has been steady for the team over the last handful of years. He could be brought back in a reserve role, but nothing is guaranteed when coming off a major injury.
Kader Kohou, Keion Crossen and Trill Williams all looked promising last season and will come together to round out a solid corner rotation.
Jevon Holland is one of the top young safeties in the league and will hopefully see a notable benefit from working under a defensive guru like Fangio. This should also help out youngsters Brandon Jones and Verone McKinley, who are both raw enough to continue developing into serviceable safeties.
Bringing in a veteran amongst the young bucks would probably be wise here – someone like Kareem Jackson. The 35-year-old is clearly at the tail end of his career, but he can still contribute in spurts on the field and as a leader in the DB room. However, there could be a bigger name in play here.
Free agent Jordan Poyer of the Buffalo Bills has seemingly been flirting publicly with the Dolphins this offseason. He would be a great fit next to Holland, but would likely be on the pricier side as a premier safety in the league. Poyer will turn 32 before next season and is represented by Miami-based agent Drew Rosenhaus (the same Drew Rosenhaus that helped orchestrate Tyreek Hill’s move to Miami last year). It will be interesting to see if the Dolphins are able to do the salary cap gymnastics required to steal two defensive starters from the rival Bills.
Projected position group:
CB: Xavien Howard, Nik Needham, Keion Crossen
S: Jevon Holland, Verone McKinley
S: Jordan Poyer, Brandon Jones
CB: Patrick Peterson, Kader Kohou, Trill Williams
BONUS – Special Teams:
Jason Sanders has been the worst thing a kicker can be: inconsistent. You don’t know what you’ll get from him on a game-to-game basis. He has played well at times, but he’s also played a big role in several Dolphins losses over the last two seasons. In a perfect world, the team would look to move on from him in favor of a more consistent – or at least cheaper – option.
But contractually speaking, it wouldn't make much sense to move on from Sanders this offseason; nearly all of his 2023 salary is guaranteed, whether he is on the team or not. It would take the front office being so fed up with his shaky play that they are willing to pay full price for two kickers next season just for Sanders not to return. While he will probably be back for another season, it will likely be his last in aqua and orange.
Thomas Morstead performed admirably for Miami last season and showed he can still get the job done at the ripe age of 36. He also appeared to thoroughly enjoy his time with the team based on his social media posts. Re-signing Morstead to a team-friendly deal would be a win-win for him and the organization.
There’s not much to be said about long snapping, but considering the team likely won’t blow another draft pick on one this April, there’s no reason to think Blake Ferguson won't return.
Projected position group:
K: Jason Sanders
P: Thomas Morstead
LS: Blake Ferguso
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