Dolphins Front Seven Will Have To Carry The Defense

Dolphins Front Seven Will Have To Carry The Defense

The Miami Dolphins are going to go into the season with major question marks in the secondary. Let’s be real right now, they have the worst group of cornerbacks in the NFL, and that’s because general manager Chris Grier released Kendal Fuller and traded Jalen Ramsey, both starters a year ago, and didn’t really get anybody to replace those guys.

Grier is relying on a lot of young and inexperienced players, as well as a bu nch of journeymen who are trying to revive their careers. 

The safety isn’t much better, but I feel better after the Grier trade brought in Minkah Fitzpatrick. If Grier had traded Ramsey and just gotten draft picks in return, then I would feel the Dolphins would be totally screwed in the secondary as a whole, and they still might be. However, Fitzpatrick brings experience, versatility, and playmaking ability to the position and should settle things down. 

In Grier’s defense, the Dolphins had a lot of holes on the defense after the season. The team lacked depth on the defensive line outside of Zach Sieler, and they were without their pass rushers, Bradley Chubb and Jaelan Phillips, last year due to season-ending injuries or rehab needs. Rookie Chop Robinson was the saving grace as he came on in the 2nd half of last year, and now you t eam him with both of those guys. It could be interesting. 

Grier said he needed to invest in the trenches, referring to both the offensive and defensive lines, as the Dolphins had no young prospects to complement Sieler. Grier drafted three defensive linemen who have size and the ability to push the pocket and create opportunities for the pass rushers in Kenneth Grant, Jordan Phillips, and Zeek Biggers.

I think Grant is going to be a stud in this league. I wanted the Dolphins to draft him for weeks leading up to the draft because he has the size to push the pocket and athletic ability to become a good pass rusher as well. Phillip and Biggers will need time to develop, but based on their preseason performance, I can see them as part of the defensive line rotation as the season goes on and becoming bigger impacts in the next couple of years. 

The Dolphins’ pass rushers, I’m really excited about. I think they will all feed off each other and have a good season if they stay healthy, which is a big if. I am puzzled by the Dolphins’ decision to sign Mathew Judon, given his age, the team’s healthy trio, and the presence of younger players like Grayson Murphy< /a>, who appear to be promising prospects for the future.

The other area where I believe the Dolphins have made significant upgrades this offseason is their inside linebacker position. They had Jordyn Brooks, who was the leader last year, and were able to resign Tyrel Dodson after coming to the Dolphins in the middle of the season, and played well. However, the Willie Gay signing might have been a steal.

Every day, I read about his success in camp, and in the preseason, he is constantly making plays in the backfield. The Dolphi ns have needed another linebacker to go sideline to sideline to make plays. They also have KJ Britt, who is no slouch either. 

This front seven has the potential to be very good and help mask some of the deficiencies at the cornerback position. Defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver last year had no pass rush or guys up front, and yet still had a top 10 defense. I wonder what he can do in year 2 with more talent on the front seven. 

The hope is that one or two players step up as the season progresses. It’s also possible that the Dolphins might find another player when teams cut down their roster or they make a trade. The bottom line here is the Dolphins won’t get this position stronger until next offseason, so they will have to make hay with what they have.  

If you look at the Dolphins’ first four games, outside of Buffalo, they don’t really play a great passing team. The Indianapolis Colts don’t have their answer at quarterback on opening day. The New England Patriots have a second-year quarterback in Drake Maye, but lack playmakers and a strong offensive line. The New York Jets are going through another regime change and don’t have their long-term answer at quarterback in Justin Fields. He has a young offensive line a couple of playmakers, but he’s not a great passing quarterback currently. 

I really feel the Dolphins’ defense can be good this year with their front seven. I have always felt that if you have a good defensive line to push the pocket and have guys that can rush the pass, it can help the secondary not cover as long and make the quarterback get rid of the ball early and force a turnover.

The Dolphins had two great corners in Sam Madison and Pat Surtain at one point, and they were great, but their job was made easy because of the work of the guys up front, like Tim Bowens, to push the pocket, and guys that got after the quarterback in Jason Taylor and Trace Armstrong. They would probably tell you that. 

The front seven is going to be what makes this defense go this season and should take pressure off the secondary.