Training Camp Preview: Line Backers
By Brian Miller
Correction: Thanks to reader Samdolphin for pointing out my ommission of rookie LB Kelvin Smith in the roster list. Smith is starting his first training camp and will be watched closely as he could contribute on special teams.
The Miami Dolphins defense lives and breathes with it’s line-backing corp. The addition of Joey Porter this off-season solidified the group after Donnie Spragan was let go. Spragan later resigned and will now be the backup to JP.
The Roster:
Kelvin Smith
Joey Porter
Abraham Wright
Derrick Pope
Jim Maxwell
Donnie Spragen
Edmond Miles
Akbar Gbaja-Biamila
Robert McCune
Zach Thomas
Channing Crowder
The Dolphins Situation: There isn’t one. This is the anchor of the Dolphins defense. It is why Miami has been ranked in the top 5 to 10 the last few years. Throw in the fact that in this defensive system you have reigning Defensive MVP Jason Taylor playing off the line and it just gets better.
Channing Crowder: This is the year for Crowder to break out and show the NFL that he has arrived. He will not put up pro-bowl numbers on this defense and even if he did, he would not likely be noticed in fan balloting.
Crowder has been a solid surprise and thus far has fit in well with this unit. However, he needs to do a better job in his pass protection and break on the ball more in the shallow routes. He can get too upright and focuses at time too much on the hit and not the mechanics of the tackle. Make no mistake, Crowder can tackle, but to become a great LB, he will have to improve in that area.
If those are the knocks on Crowder, then the talent level could sore. With Joey Porter lining up across the field from him, teams may find the running lanes tough and the short passing game a bit rough as well on the Porter side of the field. That means that Crowder could see more action on his side. He will have to step up. He has Jason Taylor in front of him, and if Crowder can continue to improve, the sky could be the limit and both he and Taylor could benefit.
Crowder is on his way to becoming a long time fixture in Miami. He is not there yet, but having his 3rd training camp will surely help. Crowder has been starting since his rookie year.
Zach Thomas: The only real question surrounding Thomas is if he will have the credentials and then the votes to get into the Hall of Fame. This is the monster in the middle and despite his age, Thomas is still putting up NFL leading tackle numbers.
With Zach Thomas these days every year could be his last in Miami or in the NFL. If your watching camp this year, watch Thomas. He is one of the great Miami Dolphins and you would hate to waste the opportunity to just sit back and admire his leadership.
Joey Porter: The high-profile free agent pick up wasted no time making a splash for the Dolphins. Porter planted his first hit of the season on Bengals’ guard Levi Jones in what is now the infamous Vegas incident. Porter escaped the wrath of Goodell by only receiving a 3 game forfeiture of his checks. He will serve no suspension.
Porter on the field can be as unpredictable and he must keep his attitude and his mouth in check. He will taunt, that is his game, but letting the worst of him come out will be a quick trip off the field and then onto suspension.
When he is playing, Porter can be a beast. He is talked up as one of the better LBs in the league in pass protection and Miami knows first hand that he not only can catch them but can run them back.
Porter is also solid with his run stopping ability, but like Crowder will at times use odd techniques or in your face hitting as opposed to wrapping and rolling the hips.
With Taylor and Crowder on the other side, Porter could be a force and could return to his pro-bowl form and gather the votes as well if Miami can do well out of the blocks.
If there is one thing JP loves, it is to rush the QB and Miami loves to blitz the QB taking pressure off an inexperienced and under-productive secondary.
Porter will be a solid LB for Miami this year, provided of course that he stays healthy. He has already had bouts of back spasms so it is something to keep a close eye on.
Donnie Spragan: Spragan was the starting LB last year opposite Crowder and was not offered a tender amount at the conclusion of the last NFL calendar year. He tested the free agent waters and eventually came back to Miami. He will serve as the back up to Joey Porter.
Spragan tries, but he just can’t seem to stay focused and consistent. He tends to miss reads that leave him out of coverage at times, although he is reliable. He lacks the up-field drive of a typical outside pass rushing LB and because of such he tends to have to wait for the play to develop towards him instead of making the play develop because of him.
I honestly do not know if Spragan is safe this season. He could find himself expendable if the younger LBs perform well. Spragan has had his shot and the Dolphins right now are looking at depth. It will be interesting to see how he performs and what Cameron and Capers do with this unit.
The special teamers: The rest of the LBs’ will be fighting for the tough spots. They will battle out to win the back-up roll or the special teams slot. These are the guys who are not rookies. Robert McCune, Akbar-Gbaja-Biamila, Jim Maxwell, and Derrick Pope. Combined those 4 have a total of 13 years experience and all have been predominantly special teams players. With the corp that the Fins have this year, unless injury takes over, they will be competing for the same thing with Miami….STs.
Lets face it, the only thing that anyone is really going to watch with the LBs is the play of Porter and how Zach, Jason, and Channing react to what he does. Still, the above mentioned 4 LBs are on the team and there could be some interesting internal battles taking place amount them and the rookies.
The LB Rookies: Kelvin Smith, Abraham Wright, and Edmund Miles: Kelvin Smith and Abraham Wright were both selected in the 7th round. Both will have to show that they can contribute on special teams in order to make an impact in their young careers. In order to do that, they will be competing with the above mentioned veterans who will be doing the same.
Outlook/Predictions: This was the best on our defense last year and there is no reason to think that they will not improve. The watch will be on Joey Porter but the unit as whole has the potential to be something special even by their own standards. Make no mistake, this is a very good LB corp. They are solid in pass defense, run defense, and in rushing the QB. Enjoy watching this unit.