All in the talk today happens to be about Joey Porter, along with Ronnie Brown.
So far this off-season, the main focus has been on re-signing players, and which Sharks might get the axe. All of the draft hype and free-agent buzz has been on the back-burner for now.
But with the Dolphins trying (and failing) to land Porter, my immediate focus shifted to who fills his spot? Would it be Jason Taylor? Cameron Wake? A viable solution could be either of these two guys. Privately, I'm sure JT will return as more of a pass rusher, reclaiming the job (weak-side linebacker) that was rightfully his all along.
We knew that the Trifecta would have to choose between Porter and Taylor, we just didn’t know (until recently) who it would actually be.
While JT is not a guarantee to return to the Dolphins for another year, Porter will be seen coming down Drive Sixth, when the New Year of Football kicks into gear.
With Porter gone, this opens the door for Taylor to re-sign with the Dolphins, and take up his natural position. Taylor is adept at creating chaos for opposing offensive linemen, whether playing from a linebacker spot, or the three-point stance, along the defensive line.
The Dolphins tried this with Taylor before, and it worked perfectly. Back in 2006, with Dom Capers as the defensive coordinator, Taylor literally filled the “jack” position, a specially termed role for the type of player Taylor is, someone who can play both as an outside linebacker and a defensive end.
Taylor earned the Defensive Player of the Year Award last year, and if he's willing to stay at that age (39), he’s looking to add to his defensive accolades.
Despite the potential re-signing of JT, the key to the off-season remains who exactly fills Porter's vacated roster spot, and which linebacker on the market the Dolphins can acquire with their available cap space.
A potential free-agent signee, inside linebacker Karlos Dansby, has expressed his desire to come to Miami, and play for Stephen Ross's team.
Dansby would fill the void playmaker role that the Dolphins have lacked recently. However, the Dolphins also may look to draft an inside linebacker during this off-season, even if through the draft, they still aim to bolster this position.
Another possible target the Dolphins are considering is Alabama linebacker Rolando McClain. McClain wouldn't play inside linebacker, but would require the Dolphins using their 12th overall pick if they want to secure him.
But the Dolphins have other needs they wish to address, including finding star players to fill roles such as free safety, Mark Sanchez Jersey, defensive tackle, and a home run threat in the return game.
So with crucial first-round decisions to be made on the right player, it should help shore up the correct position. The Dolphins will make things easier for themselves if they were to fill some of these voids before the draft begins.
Dansby could potentially fit into one of the situations the Dolphins are looking to fill this off-season. Securing Dansby would be a goal realized, for fans, Dansby himself, and the Dolphins. Dansby is considered among the best linebackers in the NFL. Having him on the team would not only solidify the position, it would give the Dolphins the needed star power they currently lack.
Signing Dansby might affect the draft, and how much the Dolphins do in terms of their picks, especially early on.
Signing a linebacker via free agency doesn’t just allow the Dolphins to use their first-round pick elsewhere, but also leaves them trading back in the draft, and gaining more compensatory picks, to fill additional voids.
For instance, the Dolphins could use their first-round pick to trade up for Anquan Boldin, who they are reportedly pursuing in trade talks. This would free the Dolphins to trade down in the first round and select either Dan Williams, a defensive tackle, or Sean Weatherspoon, another linebacker. Other potential prospects for the Dolphins in the first round include Sergio Kindle and C.J. Spiller.
If this scenario were to unfold—selecting Dansby, trading the third round for Boldin, and picking either Williams, Weatherspoon, or Spiller—the Dolphins could then address the free safety gap in the second round, as well as the defensive tackle need based on who they select. Possible candidates for the second round include free safeties Taylor Mays, Terrence Cody, Brandon Surge, and Jerry Christie.
All these scenarios are made possible by one signing via free agency.
One signing could be what it takes for the Dolphins to have a productive off-season. The impact that Karlos Dansby could have on the Dolphins, both on and off the field, is mind boggling. This guy could influence who the Dolphins select in the draft, Patriots NFL Jerseys! That man could impact the team's write-up system! This is something that no Dolphins off-season move has ever done before.
With the Dolphins undecided now on what position they will address, the signing of Dansby could propel the Dolphins to drafting a receiver (Dez Bryant), Pink Jets Jerseys, or one of the previously mentioned players earlier.
In my mind right now, the ideal off-season for the Dolphins looks like this:
Free Agency:
Karlos Dansby, ILB
Anthony Fasano, TE (He will likely become a free agent, meaning this doesn't necessarily count as a resignation.)
Trade:
3rd and 6th rounder for Anquan Boldin
Tyler Thigpen for 5th round pick
Draft:
Needs:
Nose Tackle: Dan Williams (trade down in the first round)
Outside Linebacker: Jerry Hughes (Second round)
Free Safety: Taylor Mays (Second round), or Myron Rolle (Fifth round)
Tight End: Jimmy Graham (Seventh round)
Also, I would absolutely love if the Dolphins made a move for Dexter McCluster, the explosive running back from Ole Miss.
The impact that one signing could have over the Dolphins' off-season is astounding. Goodness, if the Dolphins are active in the trade market, and play their cards right throughout the draft, and all pieces fall into place, the Dolphins could be poised to make a serious playoff run, and re-capture the AFC East crown once again.