Dolphins 2015 grades: Koa Misi

Miami Dolphins linebacker Koa Misi had a quiet 2015 season. Was his production enough to keep him around for 2016? Here are our 2015 grades on the linebacker.

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Koa Misi – linebacker

2016 salary – $4.8 million

Misi is under contract for two more seasons and his salary for each year run about the same. It’s actually a small number for a starting linebacker but Misi continues to be unimpressive despite grading out higher than any other linebacker on the roster this season. Misi was most effective against the run but had only eight tackles for losses in 2015.

In 2015 Misi played a total of 748 snaps and more importantly stayed healthy through the season. Or most of it. The problem with Misi is he is not a game changing linebacker but more of a support linebacker. The Dolphins need playmakers. After spending most of his career in Miami at outside linebacker the Dolphins moved him inside in 2014 but that wasn’t productive for Misi. In 2015 they moved him back outside where he played better.

At just under $5 million per season the Dolphins can afford to keep him as a back-up if they find a better option this off-season. If they opt to release him, they will eat only $1.5 million and save just over $3.7 million. That’s a big cap savings especially if the Dolphins find a more productive starter.

In 2015 Misi had 59 solo tackles and 19 assists for a total of 78 tackles. The Dolphins should have been able to get more production out of him especially considering that teams often ran to his side of the field to avoid Ndamukong Suh. More often than realized, Misi was often out of position or over-committed to inside runs and not keeping the edge. Despite his grading on ProFootballFocus, Misi was not as impactful as he needed be.

Overall grade

C

Why C?

Simply put the inconsistency can not be overlooked. Outside linebackers have a singular first job and that is containment, Misi wasn’t able to do that consistently and made bad reads at critical times during games.

Should the Dolphins keep him?

If the Dolphins can add a top or near top free agent linebacker, then the team should let Misi go. The cap savings will help and the Dolphins can then add another linebacker in the draft to develop. If Miami opts not to sign or is unable to sign a free agent linebacker then at his current cap hit of $4 million, the Dolphins should keep him. Misi could get better with better coaching and a better scheme so this one isn’t simply cut and dry and should be determined by who they are able to replace him with or unable to replace him.