Joey Porter will be leaving on March 5th. Akin Ayodele may be following him, according to the Sun-Sentinel. Channing Crowder's radio show hosting of Porter's rant has led to speculation, and Cameron Wake, according to just about everyone except for game tape, cannot play at an NFL level. JD Folsom is a project, Reggie Torbor is overpaid, Charlie Anderson is overpaid and over-flagged, and Quentin Moses is still a project. Jason Taylor probably has one more year left in the tank - actually if I were a betting man I'd say it's more likely two-thirds of a year. Erik Walden hasn't been able to handle more than special teams, and Brian Johnston couldn't even make it on the Chiefs roster.
Eleven football players with two things in common: 1. They all play linebacker for the Dolphins, and 2. Their futures are uncertain in one way or another.
I expect by training camp we will have 5 or 6 ILBs and 7 or 8 OLBs competing for a spot. The Dolphins's LB make-up could be very different come opening week of the 2010 season.
Now we know the top ILB in free agency is Karlos Dansby. The top OLB is...well it's actually going to be Joey Porter, and we know we won't go there. The truth is the youngest, most talented OLB available at this point would be Scott Fujita of the New Orleans Saints. But he would be asked to move inside in the Dolphins defense, and at 31 years old, his conversion could be a real risk.
No, free agency is not where we'll find any quality OLBs, at least not unless Matt Roth decides to come home. So we look to the Draft. And running the Draft this year will be the Trifecta and their underlings, Dan Henning, and new Defensive Coordinator, Mike Nolan.
Nolan is a branch of the Al Groh tree. Al Groh is a branch of the Bill Parcells tree. You may think that makes Nolan and Parcells share some core beliefs such as scheme and what they look for in personnel. Not entirely the case. Nolan actually started out running a 4-3, and only switched to a 3-4 in the past decade. Nolan has been a part of drafting some significant names in the NFL, but has also worked with what he had on the roster before he showed up, whereas Parcells has more or less preferred to bring in his own players.
So how does the replacing, bolstering, upgrading and shoring up of the linebacking corp go with Nolan in the mix? I say with some basis in fact but even more so in speculation that Parcells wants someone with Jason Pierre Paul's measurables. 6'6", 265 lbs, 4.6 forty, and all the athleticism in the world. Someone he can work with and mold into a future force. Nolan, on the other hand, is more likely to take a proven player he thinks can start straight away.
With the Baltimore Ravens, Nolan drafted Peter Boulware, 6'4", 255 lbs. With the Jets he drafted John Abraham, 6'4" 254 lbs. You would think he would stick to that mold of player as he carried on in his career, but after he inherited Andre Carter, 6'4" 260lbs, on the 49ers squad, he suddenly started moving towards shorter, squattier guys (Brandon Moore, Parys Harrelson), before implementing the 3-4 in Denver last year and moving Elvis Dumervil, 6'0", 255lbs into a stand-up pass-rushing role. What made him change his understanding of what a pass-rusher should look like?
Parcells, I believe, has not changed from his ideal 6'4" and above pass-rusher. And he hasn't changed from his belief that he can take the guy with the best measurables and make him into the player he wants him to be.
Sparano will just want someone who brings something to the table in the locker room, in the meeting room, and who hustles on the field. He'd prefer someone who isn't limited by his measurables, but is probably more in tune to the intangibles.
So I ask you, what linebackers do you see the Dolphins going after this off-season? Here is my guess:
OUTSIDE
Parcells: Jason Pierre-Paul
Sparano: George Selvie
Nolan: Brandon Graham
Henning: Convert Pat White to LB - "Pat can do it all!"
INSIDE
Parcells: Rolando McClain
Sparano: Joe Pawelek
Nolan: Patrick Angerer
Henning: "There was this kid one time, played for the Eagles in '72, I liked that kid. Maybe he has a kid. That's who we'll get. Next question."
