Thought on the The Dolphins Switching to a 43 And Players to fit the System

Since the Dolphins have hired Joe Philbin it has come out that Philbin would prefer to run a 43 defense, despite the success of the Dolphins 34 defense, a defense that only surrenders 19.6 points per game (the most important measure of defense) despite allowing 249.5 rushing yards per game. The Miami Dolphins defense was stout against the run. The Dolphins allowed only 95.6 yards per game on the ground.

What is impressive is that the Dolphins only gave up 19.3 points per game despite how few turnovers they created (they were in the middle of the league for interceptions and dead last for fumble recoveries with only 3 for the entire season).

The Dolphins were able to generate 41 sacks this year even though they only had one player with more than 8 sacks (Cameron Wake 8.5), Jason Taylor had 7 and Jared Odrick had six sacks.

Why this move is strange is because Philbin is coming over from the Packers which also run a 34, or perhaps that’s why he’s thinking about switching with how they played this year?

Seriously though the reason this move is peculiar is because anytime you switch a scheme that dramatically it is going to call for a lot of overhaul and we have to take a look at the roster and see how the players fit.

First off the cornerbacks are fine unless Philbin plans in going to a heavy read and react Tampa 2 type system which would not benefit the physical and athletic Davis and Smith, barring that though the cornerbacks don’t need to be changed.

Let’s start up front. Right now the Dolphins play Kendall Langford, Randy Starks, Paul Soliali at nose tackle and Jared Odrick the most along their front three. Jared Odrick, arguably their best defensive linemen is an ideal fit for a 34 team, though he does offer some versatility as a 43 DT seems a bit out of place in that system. Starks used to play in the Titans 43 defense and will be a DT with the Dolphins as well. I think Lanford might thrive as a 43 DT he’s long and fairly athletic he can hold up at the point of attack and might make more plays in the 43. Soliai seems really out of place in the 43 to me, but perhaps he’ll adjust.

Where the Dolphins are lacking is at defensive end. All of the players currently on their defensive line are better fits in the interior than the outside, unless they are going to run a 43 similar to what Pete Carroll is running up in Seattle.

Do they have 43 DE currently playing 34 OLB?

The question is can Cameron Wake move to RDE. When a player moves from OLB to RDE you want to see a player who has tremendous length to keep offensive linemen’s hands off of him, which Wake does not have, but he does play with good leverage so he might be able to play in a role similar to that of Trent Cole or Dwight Freeney who are a little undersized (Freeney more so). The question is though why take a player that excels in the 34 and move him to a 43. The other player you wonder about is Karlos Dansby one of the best linebackers in the league has played in the 34 very effectively here and with Arizona. Can he play in more traffic inside and also playing in more space outside?  I think he’ll be ok.

Though I disagree with the switch personally, that won’t stop the Dolphins from making the move.

Here are some targets for the 43 defense, especially DE which will be their biggest weakness as of today.

Quinton Coples, DL, UNC

Coples has a lot of ability. There are questions about his motor. Was Coples playing this season to not get hurt, instead of playing all out every play? That’s something that the Dolphins will have to answer. Coples has the length, size, and closing ability to be a very effective 43 DE or a 34 DE. Coples reminds me of Justin Smith, the former Bengal, current 49ers as a player with his versatility and functional strength. Coples is the best DE in a weak DE Class.

Melvin Ingram, Athlete, South Carolina

I’ve pinpointed Ingram as an athlete even though that’s always reserved for players like Denard Robinson because he’s a unique defensive player. He’s very athletic player, but he also happens to be 6’2 275 pounds. Ingram played DT in college, but seems undersized to play there in the N.F.L. Ingram is a little short to play defensive end (but again that’s not an absolute), and he also has enough athletic ability to warrant a look as a 34 OLB. Ingram could potentially be available when the Dolphins pick in the 2nd round though he could go as high as the mid 1st.

Whitney Mercilus, Illinois

Mercilus is an extremely productive player in college who got by with tremendous hustle and anticipation. Despite what you see elsewhere I think  Whitney is a terrible fit as 34 OLB and should be a 43 DL option only. He isn’t physically impressive like Quinton Coples, he doesn’t have great speed, and doesn’t play with terrific instincts. His motor though is terrific. I like him at the top of round two and think he’s a reach before that point.

Andre Branch, DE, Clemson

Probably the ideal option for a team looking to run a 43 in round two. Branch has good size at 6’5 260 pounds and is a very good athlete (aren’t all Clemson players). He has a lot of speed and a lot of upside and has long arms. I would not be surprised at all if Branch ends up the best pass rushing DE in this draft class.

The case for Courtney Upshaw

I think Upshaw is miscast-ed in a 43 defense, but can still be a significant rotational pass rusher.  He has good explosion and terrific strength so I wouldn’t rule it out, but I think he’s less of an option for the Dolphins if they move to a 43 as they seem like they are going to do then if they stick with the 34.

Other players to keep an eye on in the first three rounds:

Syracuse DE Chandler Jones, Tennessee DE Malik Jackson, and Arkasnas DE Jake Bequette

What are your thoughts Dolphins fans? Should the team switch to a 43 and which players do you think fit the 43 system that are already on the roster?