Miami Dolphins Get Three Starters Back Today

The Miami Dolphins will play the Green Bay Packers today and they will, for all intent and purposes be a different team. At least in some areas. Will it make a difference? Make the team better, worse? On paper the team should be a lot better but as we have learned over the years what looks good on paper doesn’t always translate well to the field.

Mike Pouncey is returning after missing the first four games secondary to hip surgery just before training camp. The torn labrum is healed and Pouncey is ready to get back on the field after completing his first full week of normal practice. The question is where will he play. The smart move would be to put him at guard where he spent plenty of time this week working at but so did Samson Satele. If Pouncey starts at guard look for the offensive line to be much more improved as the weakest spot on the Dolphins line has been at right guard. His presence at guard will also go a long way to make Ja’Wuan James better who is really playing well this season as it is.

Defensively the Dolphins are getting Reshad Jones back today as well but will it be the Jones of 2013 or the Jones of 2012? After serving a four game suspension for a failed PED test Jones will make his debut today against the Packers. The Dolphins are going to need Jones to immediately step up and make an impact as the deep secondary will be tested often by Jordy Nelson and Patrick Cobb, two of Aaron Rodgers’ favorite targets. Michael Thomas and Jimmy Wilson will be the options if Jones’ struggles. Again, on paper, this should be a big boost for the teams defense.

Jumping sides again we see Knowshon Moreno listed as probably for today’s contest and the Packers have the worst run defense in the league so Moreno along with Miller should have the opportunity for a big day. Moreno has missed two full games and 55 minutes of a third after dislocating his elbow in week two against the Buffalo Bills. Moreno said last week he still had about four weeks until he was ready but obviously that was either a lie or joke. Regardless Moreno should immediately attack the defense as he did in week one against the Patriots and the dual threat of Miami’s back-field and Moreno’s ability to contribute as an out of the back-field receiver will make the offense better.

Koa Misi has missed three of the last four games and played only a series or two in week one against the Patriots. He is recovered from his injury and will move back onto the field but who will lose their spot? The Dolphins linebackers have played well after watching Misi, Ellerbe, and Wheeler go down in week one. Wheeler came back for the Raiders game and Ellerbe is out for the year. Jason Trusnik is likely to see his playing time reduced with Misi back in play but that has more to do with the play of Jelani Jenkins who is one of the surprise players in the entire NFL. Jenkins is listed behind Trusnik on the depth chart but that will likely soon change if he continues to play at his current level. Especially if Trusnik continues to struggle in pass coverage.

Derrick Shelby will miss this week as he is serving an indefinite suspension after a bye week incident at a Florida night club. With Shelby out Anthony Johnson looks to take on the roll of Shelby and has received most of the line work in practice this week in his absence. The Dolphins will also platoon him with 7th round rookie Terence Fede. It’s an interesting combination of an un-drafted rookie and a 7th rounder from a very small school.

Brandon Gibson will be out today with a hamstring injury which means we will see more Jarvis Landry and Rishard Matthews. The Dolphins signed Damian Williams off the practice squad and he could make an impact today in the return games as Landry may see his opportunity dwindle as he plays the slot more with Gibson’s injury.

All told the Dolphins are losing two players who are valuable depth players or in the case of Gibson a contributing slot guy but one who is replaceable. They are getting three starters back and possibly filling a need along the line with one of them. On paper things always look nice.