As soon as the final seconds of time expired in Miami Gardens, the Miami Dolphins had some work to do to cut players and assess what players will make an impact this season. With the Dolphins first game a week a way versus the New England Patriots, we thought at PhinsPhocus.com it would be great to contact an old pal of ours, Ian Wharton to help clarify what’s been going on this past preseason.
Ian was great in his analysis of this year’s draft, earlier first-hand experience at the Senior Bowl, and overall coverage at FinDepth.com. Please follow Ian @NFLFilmStudy for more analysis, pinpoint coverage, and finally informative criticism.
1. Now that the pre-season is over, how do you see Ja’Wuan James faring this season versus the AFC East’s best pass rushers? Which attributes make him so special?
James had an impressive preseason by any standard, and I feel confident saying he was the best Dolphins’ lineman throughout the four games.
He’s going to face a lot of power pass rushers this year, including the Patriots’ Rob Ninkovich, the Bills’ Mario Williams, and the Jets’ Muhammad Wilkerson. Williams and Wilkerson, specifically, are among the leagues best at using tremendous power to disrupt pass and run plays alike.
That being said, I think James will be able to perform adequately. His anchor in pass protection is a great strength because he has good balance. His kick step (when a lineman retreats and mirrors the defensive end) is smooth and quick, which is because he’s a solid athlete. He has strong hands that jolt pass rushers, which helps neutralize the power rush techniques that destroyed Tyson Clabo in 2013.
It’s hard to rank offensive lineman because it’s not cut and dry criteria, but I think James will finish in the top half of the NFL’s right tackles. It’s hard to be a good NFL rookie because older players have been in weight programs for a longer time, and that’s a major advantage. James will be much better than Clabo was, though, and that’s what really matters this season.
2. Looking at running backs, who will play the most snaps of this group of backs? What does Knowshon Moreno bring to the team that wasn’t there last season? Where does Lamar Miller fit in this scheme?
We can’t predict the health of this group, but if everyone stays healthy enough to play in at least 14 games, I think Lamar Miller will barely edge out Knowshon for the most offensive snaps.
Moreno brings a dynamic to this group that hasn’t been seen since Ronnie Brown; he’s feisty and tough nosed. His energy in Week 3’s game against the Cowboys was contagious to his teammates and fans because he doesn’t stop his legs from churning until he’s finally down. Moreno is also a very good pass protector and receiver out of the backfield, which means he’s going to get a lot of snaps on passing downs.
Miller is still the starter right now because he’s a tremendous athlete that seems close to putting it all together. We weren’t able to see Miller at his finest behind the 2013 offensive line, but this scheme and the new talent up front should propel Miller to a career year. His vision is going to be a question as we enter the season; he doesn’t have the consistency that Moreno brings. But Miller is also a good pass protector, even if he’s not on Moreno’s level yet. He also showed the ability to catch the ball in the preseason. So, the future is still bright for Miller. He just needs to put some finishing touches on his skill set.
3. Of course fans and pundits will harp on Ryan Tannehill’s accuracy and ability to read the defense. What can we all expect from number 17 in his third year? What do you believe to be a point of contention for the coaches?
In his first two seasons with the Dolphins, Tannehill struggled in part to a horrific offensive scheme, one of the worst offensive lines in NFL history, and a complete lack of a running game.
Tannehill hasn’t been flawless as he continues to learn the nuances of the position. He tends to stare down his primary target at times, as if he’s afraid to go off the script to make a better play. He also delivers passes late, which seems to be the result of not trusting his eyes and reacting natural.
Entering year number three, expect those mistakes to be cut down. It might not be drastic, because the NFL doesn’t usually work like that. Even all-time greats like Peyton Manning make game-changing mistakes, because the NFL is filled with immensely talented players and coaches. But the 23 combined turnovers he had in 2013 simply cannot happen again. That number needs to be around 17 or fewer for the Dolphins to reach the playoffs.
Also, expect more big plays. The offensive scheme forces the opposition to think, which creates gaps in the defense. Tannehill is capable of hitting receivers in stride, and has good overall accuracy. His receivers are much better than in years past, and he’ll do a better job of getting the ball out early.
The coaches likely want to see Tannehill play more relaxed, and look more natural as a decision maker. Sometimes he seems stiff and robotic. He doesn’t have to be lackadaisical out there, but some emotion can help the team. His robotic nature seems to hold him back at times.
4. After the dust settles where do you see the Dolphins best unit in terms of depth and talent being? Is it on offense or defense and can the Dolphins find ways to make enough plays?
Looking at the entire roster, Dennis Hickey has done a great job of filling cracks and building a stronger roster.
But the most talented side of the ball is the offense.
Even with the questions about Tannehill, he’s one of the league’s top 15 quarterbacks and still trending upwards. The offensive line is much improved, even if the young players aren’t on the field right away. There is more depth and competition, which is a good start. The receiving core lacks a true number one, alpha male-type, but it’s a deep bunch.
The defensive line is tremendous, but there is little depth at linebacker and safety. With the offense showing improvement at all positions in the preseason, the defense is the concern of the team.
For making plays, the offense still has to be under the gun in 2014. We know there is considerable talent there, so now they must produce at least 24 points a game. The defense was average last season despite terrible linebacker play and losing some of Cam Wake’s effectiveness to injury. Count on the defense being at least average again. Thus, the offense must perform.
5. With the suspensions of Reshad Jones at safety and Dion Jordan at defensive end, how will the Dolphins approach their losses versus the Patriots week one?
With Cam Wake, Olivier Vernon and Derrick Shelby healthy and ready to play, the loss of Jordan isn’t huge in Week 1. He’s quietly been a solid pass rusher for the Dolphins despite the negative press that he’s drawn. His raw statistics aren’t impressive on their own, but disruption is production, and he’s been pretty darn productive thus far in his career. Against the Patriots, I expect rookie standout Chris McCain to play Jordan’s role as fourth pass rusher. He likely won’t log too many snaps total.
The impact of Jones’ suspension is much more vital. Not because Jones is uber-talented, but because it forces slot cornerback Jimmy Wilson to free safety and Louis Delmas to strong safety. Delmas should be comfortable closer to the box, but it’s Wilson I’m worried about. His eye discipline in the preseason was poor, and Tom Brady is an ace at manipulating the defense.
To cover for Wilson, the Dolphins will need to get a lot of pressure from their defensive line and hope the linebackers can do their job in coverage. The Patriots aren’t that great of a team, but the Dolphins cannot afford to make costly mistakes that can easily be avoided, like missing tackles and dropping interceptions.
We thank Ian for his in-depth analysis of the Dolphins and look forward to his columns on FinDepth.com!
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