Miami Dolphins Need To Review The Cornerback Position

Miami Dolphins need to review the Cornerback Position

Nov 23, 2014; Denver, CO, USA; Miami Dolphins cornerback Jamar Taylor (22) is taken off the field following an arm injury in the third quarter against the Denver Broncos at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. The Broncos defeated the Dolphins 39-36. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

Let’s be honest, the Miami Dolphins have a lot of needs as the NFL draft is approaching. The Miami Dolphins lack talent at two key positions; Offensive Guard and Cornerback.   If opening day was this Sunday, the Dolphins would be plugging players that opposing teams would target all day, every day. Reviewing the depth chart, there is no need to place a flashlight on these two positions as a glaring spotlight has been there for the past few years.

Like all fairy-tales, this article won’t start any differently…Once upon a time the Miami Dolphins front office drafted two blue chip prospects that were supposed to remind the fans of Patrick Surtain and Sam Madison. Those two prospects were first and second round draft picks – cornerstones of a franchise; Vontae Davis and Sean Smith.   As the years developed these two prospects have matured into starting cornerbacks and have not only played in multiple pro balls and playoff games, but made a direct impact in them as well. The only problem with this fairy-tale is that each player, played for a different team than the Miami Dolphins. Sean Smith was not resigned, when he became a free agent (asking for a relatively fair deal) and Vontae was traded away because of his attitude.

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Fast forward to today and the Dolphins are once again searching for a combination of cornerbacks that can actually make a difference come Sunday afternoon. Two years ago, the Dolphins doubled down in the NFL draft and selected Jamar Taylor (2^nd round) and Will Davis (3^rd round), unfortunately, both players have combined to play less snaps than a backup Quarterback. (Perhaps not in actuality, but you can understand my point).

The only bright spot that the Dolphins have is Brent Grimes. Signing him two years ago to a prove it deal and then cascading that deal into a well-earned contract was not only a smart move, but one that was relatively obvious.   The only downside is that Grimes is now on the wrong side of 30, which means he can’t play the alpha cornerback that much longer. The ideal situation would be moving him to a nickel cornerback in the next few years. However, that would depend on a replacing Grimes with a proven talent. Do the Dolphins really have someone with that skill set on their current roster?

Both Taylor and Davis have shown glimpse of potential, however, they showcased that when the games didn’t really matter (preseason and OTAs) and have never made a direct impact when the lights came on. Furthermore, neither player can seem to find a way to stay on the field, as the injury bug has delegated them to finish the season two years in a row on the Injured Reserve.

Jamar Taylor was once considered a first round talent. At Boise State he was considered an elite prospect that could not only handle the passing game but was a unique corner that loved contact. Taylor best ability is his man coverage. Taylor is quick to react and shows fluid hip movement that made him an ideal 2^nd round selection. His shadowing is flawless, however, his zone responsibilities is where he needs work on – that can be fixed with proper coaching, but he needs to work and train smart in order to avoid another delegation to the injured reserve.

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Will Davis turned everyone’s head at training camp a few years ago. There wasn’t a training camp report that didn’t have one beat writer stating that Davis made a play or an interception.  How does someone play so well during OTAs and training camp and then disappears. The only assumption that can be made is that Davis lacks confidence. We have seen players playing well when there is nothing on the line, however, when the game starts, players might have the tendency  to start over thinking and question everything they have learned.   Davis needs to stick with what caused the Dolphins to draft him the 3^rd round. Show the potential that made this blue chip prospect an enticing selection.

As the NFL draft starts getting closer, the Dolphins will soon determine, if they need to draft, trade or bring in another player to solve the lack of depth at cornerback or perhaps a strong offseason might allow Taylor and Davis to understand that this opportunity is theirs to loose. As this fairy-tale comes to a close, it will be up to the Dolphins front office to determine if this fairy-tale might will have a happy ending.