Dolphins: 5 Bills Miami must account for in 2017
By Brian Miller
Hughes is a stellar talent on the edge and could give Laremy Tunsil fits on the outside. The Bills opted to let some in home talent leave in free agency, especially at the linebacker position but salary infrastructure was an issue and the Bills needed to make tough decisions.
When it comes to the edge however, the Bills, like the Dolphins are hoping that their DE’s can get pressure on the AFC East rival quarterbacks. For the Bills that is Hughes at right defensive end and Shaq Lawson on the left.
Hughes is going to be a problem for Tunsil but it may end up being Lawson against Ja’Wuan James that creates a bigger problem for the Dolphins offensive line. Either way Miami will have to face two outside pass rushers late in the season that could change the game on a dime.
If there is good news for the Dolphins, Tunsil and James spend every practice lined up against some of the absolute best defensive ends in the league with Cameron Wake, William Hayes, and the high potential rookie Charles Harris.
In other words, Miami should be ready by the time Buffalo comes into the picture.
The Buffalo Bills linebacker group is not as strong as it was last year and their corners have taken a big drop as well after they allowed Stephon Gillmore to leave for the Patriots. To be fair to the Bills they didn’t know he was going to sign with them but they risked it and he did.
That is important because the secondary isn’t as strong this year as they are younger with less experience, that puts the onus on the front defensive line where Marcell Dareus can give offensive lineman fits. Add to that Jerry Hughes outside his shoulder and the Dolphins are going to have a problem.
Making the problem a bit worse but hopefully less so by the time this game rolls around is the fact that Miami doesn’t have a clear starting left guard to pair with Tunsil and thus far through the pre-season no one is running away with it. By this game Ted Larsen should be back from his torn bicep but understand that Larsen isn’t a fix to the Dolphins guard issue on the left side. He was the penciled in starter but his career has not been full of starting opportunities.
Guard could be a problem all season for the Dolphins and if that is the case when Miami finally meets Buffalo, Dareus is going to be a problem for Miami.