How Weaver Plans to Deal with His Good Problem on Defense

Miami Dolphins defensive coordinator Anthony Weaver has a good problem on his hands when it comes to the team's edge rushers.

The Dolphins have poured significant resources into their group of edge rushers, but turning that investment into a steady, disruptive pass rush hinges on the unit’s effectiveness throughout a 17-game season. 

Jaelan Phillips and Bradley Chubb are two of Miami’s four highest-paid players, and 2024 first-round pick Chop Robinson joins them as a first-string player on the Week 1 depth chart. On top of that, the Dolphins added four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Matthew Judon to the pass rush rotation during the preseason.

For Weaver, the issue becomes figuring out how to split their snaps to try to maximize the group's production.

“In a perfect world to me, if there was a 70-snap game, somebody leaves with 30-40, another person leaves with 30,” Weaver said Thursday. “However that shakes out amongst the four, we’ll see. 

“But my goal for that room is that whoever is on the field, that they’re playing full speed with no governor for every snap there on the field, and we should be able to attack offenses in waves.” 

The Dolphins' defense did a good job of containing opponents last season, finishing fourth with 314.3 yards allowed per game. That said, a consistent pass rush prevented them from truly threatening offenses. 

Miami’s defense slipped to 26th in the NFL with 2.1 sacks per game last season, after ranking second with 3.1 in 2023 and eighth with 2.6 in 2022. That lack of pressure factored into the unit forcing just 16 takeaways, which was more than only five other teams.

Not only did a defensive tackle lead the Dolphins in sacks last season (Zach Sieler), but only four other players had more than one sack — and only Robinson (six sacks) and Emmanuel Ogbah (five sacks) are considered edge rushers. 

Dolphins GM Chris Grier recently acknowledged the franchise had to cut back on the recent offseason spending sprees, which played a large role in the secondary featuring five new starters entering 2025. While the team has been careful with spending elsewhere, the edge rushers remain a position Miami is willing to invest in, with the belief that a strong pass rush can help cover other areas of the defense.

“Those guys – and I think you can see by what these edge defenders are being paid nowadays – they’ve got to be disruptors and we’re looking for four quarters of disruptive football from that room,” Weaver said. 

Chubb and Phillips Healthy Entering Week 1

The Dolphins listed 14 players on the Thursday injury report, but Chubb and Phillips were not among them — a promising sign not just because of their impact on the field, but also given the injuries they’ve worked through. 

Phillips underwent season-ending knee surgery following an injury in Week 4 against the Tennessee Titans last season. That was just his fourth game back after he tore an Achilles tendon against the New York Jets on Black Friday in 2023. 

Chubb suffered a serious knee injury on Dec. 31, 2023, tearing his ACL, meniscus, and patellar tendon. While the Dolphins opened his practice window last December, the team ultimately chose to keep him on the Reserve/PUP list for the entire 2024 season. 

Now off the injury report and back in the lineup, Chubb and Phillips each have multiple seven-sack seasons on their resume. Meanwhile, the emergence of Robinson and the addition of Judon unlock dynamic defensive fronts that can further confuse opposing quarterbacks. 

If Miami maximizes that group, the combination of talent, emerging players, and depth could turn the pass rush into a game-changing force.

More Miami Dolphins Coverage: