Loss of Reshad Jones might be good for the Dolphins
Reshad Jones has arguably been the Dolphins’ most reliable defender. On Wednesday, the Dolphins placed their starting safety on injured reserve. Although he will certainly be missed on the field, Jones’ loss might actually be a gain for the Dolphins.
As reported earlier this week, after getting a second opinion on his torn rotator cuff, Miami Dolphins starting safety Reshad Jones will be out for the rest of the season. There is little question that he will be missed by the defense and the fans. At the same time, however, his injury might actually be good for the Dolphins overall.
By losing Jones, the Dolphins lose their leader in tackles last year and second leading tackler through six games this year. They lose a safety who has played so well the past few years that leaving him out of the Pro Bowl two years ago and only making it as an alternate last year seem like snubs. They lose a player who can stop the run, sack the quarterback, defend against the pass, and create turnovers, all from the safety position. In short, they are losing a high quality player who will be hard to replace.
At the same time, this might be what this year’s defense and coaches need. Now, other players on the defense will have to step up against the run, knowing that Jones is no longer right behind them to cover for their missed tackles. They will have to step up their coverage against the pass and know that missing the play could very well mean a touchdown. They will have to come up with other players and schemes to pressure and sack the quarterback. In addition, they will have to come up with players who can create the turnovers that played such a huge role in the game against the Steelers.
In short, the loss of Jones will force players on the defense to do their jobs even better than before. If they can all step up and do what they should have been doing with Jones in there, perhaps the drop-off will not be as significant. More likely, the Dolphins’ coaches will have an even better idea of who they can count on, who they cannot, and what will be the most important needs to address in the offseason.
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Just as importantly, Jones’ injury will help the Dolphins make a decision on him going forward. Next year is his last year under his four-year, $28 million contract which he was not happy about heading into this season. Jones will count approximately $8 million against the cap next year, and the Dolphins need to make a decision about whether to retain, cut, or re-sign the safety who turns 30 in 2018. His play has demonstrated his worth to the team. This injury will demonstrate how the team can perform without him and give the team a sense of how much they might be willing to pay to keep him.