Dolphins could get more flexible if they sign Kenny Vaccaro

The Miami Dolphins are hosting safety Kenny Vaccaro today but what exactly does that mean for a crowded safety unit and a team that is up against the salary cap until June 1st?

Miami has invested in Reshad Jones and T.J. McDonald but they still are hosting Kenny Vaccaro today. Signing him, although not likely now, would give Miami some flexibility on the defensive side of the ball.

If you are one of those people who look for every single visit as a dot to dot numbers game for kids that when connected form a bigger picture than you could have fun with the Vaccaro visit and connect the dots like this: Vacarro allows Miami to move McDonald to linebacker, linebacker allows Miami to draft a quarterback instead of a linebacker in round one, which means they could be moving up for a QB instead of sitting at pick 11. I’m kidding, unless I’m not.

Vaccaro is however a smart player who unfortunately has been very inconsistent at times for the Saints. The former 15th overall draft pick in 2013 can hit hard and support the run while being able to play deep in coverage. The problem is his consistency.

While in New Orleans, Vaccaro showed a lot of potential and he showed signs that he was ready to break out and become a top NFL safety but ask a Saints fan and they will be quick to point out that those signs led to the realization he wasn’t ready yet. He was still a tease.

In Miami Vaccaro could give some flexibility as I teased earlier.

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Sometimes all a player needs is a change and a coaching/scheme change as well. If the Dolphins signed Vaccaro and he was actually able to get more consistent, the Dolphins could move McDonald to a hybrid linebacker spot.

McDonald hits hard and is fast enough to keep up with tight-ends. He has good open field tackle ability and can even keep outside edge containment. For whatever reason McDonald wasn’t playing up to Adam Gase’s level of expectations. A move however could allow him to play all over the field where he can be in better position to make plays.

Of course the Dolphins could be looking to move on from McDonald. Gase has been clear about the types of players he wants on his football team and what he expects from them. Releasing McDonald would cost the Dolphins around $5.4 million in dead cap space but if they trade him that number drops to just over $3 million.

It’s unclear if the Dolphins believe McDonald was a mistake or simply Adam Gase trying to get McDonald to play up to another level but it could get interesting depending on what happens with Vaccaro in the next day or even month.